Meaning & Origin
A diminutive of the male given names James or Jim, also used as a formal given name.
Jimmy is a boy's and girl's baby name of Hebrew origin, a diminutive of James — from the Latin Jacobus and ultimately the Hebrew Ya'akov meaning "supplanter." Jimmy developed as a distinctly American informal variant of Jim in the early 20th century.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. President, ran as "Jimmy" — a deliberate choice signaling approachability over formality. Jimmy Hendrix, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Page span music and entertainment. Few names feel this simultaneously humble and iconic.