English form of the Late Latin Jacomus which was derived from Iakobos, the New Testament Greek form of Ya'aqob (see JACOB). In the New Testament James is an important apostle, the brother of the apostle John. According to the Book of Acts he was beheaded by Herod Agrippa. Another James is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus. Kings of England and Scotland have borne this name. Other famous bearers include the inventor of the steam engine James Watt, the explorer Captain James Cook, and the novelist and poet James Joyce