Seamus

Seamus is the Irish Gaelic form of James, which itself derives from the Late Latin Iacomus, a variant of Iacobus, ultimately rooted in the Hebrew name Yaakov, meaning one who follows at the heel or supplants. The name entered Ireland through the influence of biblical and ecclesiastical tradition, becoming thoroughly naturalized in Gaelic culture. Seamus Heaney, the Nobel Prize–winning Irish poet, is perhaps the most internationally recognized modern bearer of the name. Related forms include Séamas, the anglicized James, and the Scottish Gaelic equivalent Seumas.