Diego
Diego was the 158th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,351 babies. Its best year was 2006, when it ranked 56th with 8,403 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 33 places. More babies were named Diego in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Meaning disputed · Spanish
Say it dee-AY-goh /diˈeɪɡoʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #158 boys, down 32 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,351boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20068,403 babies
- Total since 1880
- 126,405babies recorded
What does the name Diego mean?
Diego is a Spanish name whose origin is disputed. DMNES treats it as a contraction of Santiago, 'Saint James' (Sant Iago), so ultimately the same name as James and Jacob. Wiktionary instead derives it from the medieval Latin name Didacus, which is of uncertain origin, and Wikipedia sets out both hypotheses. Either way, Diego has long been treated in Spain as equivalent to James, and the city of San Diego carries the name of a saint called Didacus in Latin.
Santiago (Spanish, “Saint James (DMNES view)”)Didacus (Medieval Latin, “Didacus (Wiktionary view)”)
How sure is this? Disputed. DMNES: a contraction of Santiago (James). Wiktionary: from Didacus, of uncertain origin. Wikipedia presents both.
Related names: Santiago, Diago, Didacus, Tiago, James.
See also: Spanish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Diego', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Diego', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Diego', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Diego popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 245 since 1987, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #158 | 2,351 |
| 2020 | #126 | 2,910 |
| 2010 | #86 | 4,719 |
| 2000 | #147 | 2,685 |
| 1990 | #307 | 830 |
| 1980 | #629 | 193 |
| 1970 | #802 | 103 |
| 1960 | #1,168 | 45 |
| 1950 | #1,297 | 31 |
| 1940 | #1,920 | 14 |
| 1930 | #1,991 | 15 |
| 1920 | #2,248 | 14 |
| 1910 | #1,229 | 8 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Diego, counting every spelling?
Diego has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #170 for boys in 2025, against #158 on the official list, because Kayson/Kaison/Kaysen and Nico/Niko/Nikko and Connor/Conor/Conner move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Diego?
2,351 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Diego (0.65 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Diego born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Diego.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Diego?
About 123,300 people born in the US named Diego are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 11 and 23. That makes Diego mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Diego by state
How common Diego was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (2.7×), District of Columbia (2.3×), Texas (2.1×), California (2.1×), Arizona (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Dakota, Missouri, Pennsylvania.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Diego: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Diego, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Diego · Sibling names for Diego
Questions about the name Diego
What does Diego mean?
The meaning of Diego is disputed: DMNES: a contraction of Santiago (James). Wiktionary: from Didacus, of uncertain origin. Wikipedia presents both.
How popular is the name Diego?
Diego was the 158th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,351 babies. Its best year was 2006, when it ranked 56th with 8,403 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 33 places. More babies were named Diego in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Diego a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Diego in the US.
Where is Diego most popular?
In 2021–2025, Diego was most common in New Mexico (4.25 per 1,000 boys), followed by District of Columbia and Texas.