boy's name
Hamish
HAY-mish
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 6,175
Scotland
#70
2024 births
Hamish is a boy's name of Scottish origin, the anglicized form of Seumas — which is the Gaelic for James. It ranks 70th in Scotland and is, unusually, built from the form of a name used when calling someone.
- Hamish is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 1998, when 138 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 6,587 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Hamish over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 538 |
| 2000s | 966 |
| 2010s | 908 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 552 |
What Hamish means
Hamish inherits the meaning of James, from the Hebrew Ya'aqov: supplanter, or holder of the heel. Nothing in the Scottish form contributes a meaning of its own; it contributes only a grammatical case.
Where Hamish comes from
Hamish is the anglicized spelling of Sheumais, which is the vocative case of the Scottish Gaelic Seumas, James. Gaelic changes the beginning of a noun when it is used in direct address, so a man called Seumas is called Sheumais to his face, and English speakers hearing the name in conversation wrote down what they heard. Hamish is therefore built from the calling form rather than the naming form, which makes it one of very few English given names derived from a grammatical case. The underlying name runs James, Iacomus, Ya'aqov, and Genesis supplies the reading: Jacob is born gripping his twin's heel, from aqev, and later takes his brother's birthright. The Irish equivalent Seamus went into English unchanged, which is why Ireland has Seamus and Scotland has Hamish from the same source.
Hamish in use
Hamish ranks 70th in Scotland with 73 births in 2024 and 486th in England and Wales, where it reads as thoroughly Scottish. It is essentially unused in Ireland and the United States, where it sits at 6,401st. Our records mark it rising and carry it only from 1981, so despite sounding traditional it is a modern name in registration terms, with a peak in 2017.
How popular is Hamish?
In 2025, Hamish was given to 80 babies in England and Wales, ranking #486 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Hamish is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Hamish
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Hamish also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Hamish over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Hamish in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Hamish
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Hamish — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Hamish
What does the name Hamish mean?
It inherits James's meaning: supplanter, or holder of the heel, from the Hebrew Ya'aqov.
Is Hamish the Scottish for James?
Yes, by way of Seumas — specifically the form of Seumas used when addressing someone directly.
Why does Hamish look nothing like Seumas?
Gaelic changes the start of a name in direct address, giving Sheumais. English speakers wrote down the calling form.
How popular is Hamish?
Seventieth in Scotland and 486th in England and Wales.
Is Hamish a girl's or a boy's name?
Hamish is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Hamish?
Hamish has 2 syllables.
Is Hamish a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Hamish currently ranks #70 in England and Wales. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.