Semaj is a masculine given name of African American origin, formed by spelling the name James in reverse. This innovative typographical reversal is a distinctive feature of African American naming practices, which often involve creative respellings, invented names, and recombined syllables to establish unique identity and cultural expression.
The name James itself has deep historical roots, deriving from the Late Latin Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin Iacobus, which ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Yaʿaqov (see Jacob). James was borne by two important apostles in the New Testament: James the Greater, brother of the apostle John, and James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another New Testament figure, James the Just, is described as a brother of Jesus. The name entered English usage in the 13th century and gained particular prominence in Scotland, where it was used by multiple kings. When James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne in 1603, uniting the crowns, the name spread widely across Britain. In the United States, James has been perennially popular, ranking among the top 20 names for boys since 1880—the only name to achieve such consistent top-tier status—and claiming the #1 spot from 1940 to 1952.
Sources: Wikipedia — Semaj