James is the boy's first name in Taylor Swift's connected Folklore love triangle.
In “august,” the unnamed female narrator falls for James during a brief summer romance. James is already connected to Betty, and the three perspectives unfold across “august,” “Cardigan,” and “Betty.”
“august” is told from the perspective of the girl sometimes informally called Augustine or Augusta by Swift. However, that is not her official name in the lyrics; James is the clearly named boy in the story.
The narrative ends with James returning to Betty, leaving the “august” narrator to recognize that the relationship was never truly hers. The fictional structure is a key part of Folklore's departure from Swift's more autobiographical songwriting.