How to read the band →
Solid line = floor (spellings that unambiguously belong to the group). Shaded band up to the dashed edge = ceiling (the most it could reach if every ambiguous spelling counted here).
James
James is down from its peak but still widely used. All-time it's been given to 5,274,520 U.S. babies, the 15th most common name by sound today, peaking at 95,024 in 1947, with 12,004 in 2025.
James has no common alternate spellings by sound.
Rising
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, “National data” baby-names files (1880–2025).