Meaning: James reversed; a creative American name formed by reversing the letters of James, itself from Hebrew Ya'aqov (Jacob: supplanter) via Latin Jacobus and Old French JamesHigh
In 30 seconds: A creative American name formed by reversing the letters of James. It carries James's meaning ('supplanter,' ultimately from Jacob) in a distinctive new visual form — one of the most notable reversal names in American naming.
MeaningJames reversed; a creative American name formed by reversing the letters of James, itself from Hebrew Ya'aqov (Jacob: supplanter) via Latin Jacobus and Old French James
U.S. rank (2025)#1027 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births217 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2011
Total births (all-time)≈ 7,420
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
Semaj is an American creative coinage, formed by reversing the letters of James. James itself derives from Old French Jaime/James, from Latin Jacobus, from Hebrew Ya'aqov (supplanter, Jacob).
Semaj appeared in U.S. birth data from the 1990s and ranked #1069 for boys in 2024.
Did you know? Reversal names — Nevaeh (heaven), Semaj (James), Adanac (Canada), Anael (Leana) — are a uniquely American naming tradition rooted in the desire for distinctive, phonetically appealing names that honor existing names with fresh visual identity.
Overall data confidence 84%
U.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data
Variations
SamejSemaje
Nicknames
Sem
Famous Bearers
Famous bearers coming soon.
If you like Semaj…
James— the name Semaj reverses, sharing its complete phonetic identity
Jamel— Ja- opening masculine name in the same community
Jamari— three-syllable Ja- name in the same African American naming space
Javier— three-syllable J-opening masculine name in the same community
Jakai— creative J-opening name in the same naming tradition
