James the Less is a figure of Early Christianity. He is also called "the Minor", "the Little", "the lesser", or "the Younger", according to translation. He is not to be confused with James the Great ("James, son of Zebedee"). In most opinions he might be the same person with James, son of Alphaeus, but the sources offer no certainty. In the past, the Western church used to identify him with James, "the Lord’s brother" or "the Just"

James, son of Alphaeus (Ἰάκωβος, Iakōbos in Greek; , Ya'akov Ben Halfai) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, appearing under this name in all three of the Synoptic Gospels' lists of the apostles. He is often identified with James the Less (Greek Iacobos ho mikros, Ἰακώβος ο μικρος Mark 15:40) and commonly known by that name in church tradition. He is also labelled "the minor", "the little", "the lesser", or "the younger", according to translation. He is distinct from James, son of Zebedee and in some interpretations also from James the Just or James, brother of Jesus.He appears only four times in the New Testament, each time in a list of the twelve apostles.