James Oakes may refer to:
James Oakes (historian) (born 1953), professor of history at the City University of New York James L. Oakes (1924–2007), judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Jimmy Oakes (1902–1992), English footballer James Oakes (diarist) (1741–1829), diarist, businessman and banker James Oakes (MP) (1821–1901), British Conservative politician