Santiago
Santiago was the 26th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 7,554 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 101 places. More babies were named Santiago in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Saint James · Spanish, Hebrew (via James)
Say it san-tee-AH-goh /ˌsæntiˈɑɡoʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #26 boys, up 45 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7,554boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20257,554 babies
- Total since 1880
- 103,965babies recorded
What does the name Santiago mean?
Santiago is Spanish for 'Saint James': sant, 'saint', plus Iago, an old Spanish form of James (Jacob). It refers to the apostle James. DMNES records Diego as a contraction of Santiago.
Sant Iago (Spanish, “Saint James”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Spanish names.
Nicknames for Santiago
The usual nicknames for Santiago are Santi. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Santiago in the last five years, 2 were named Santi.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santi · also for Santino | Modern | #1,121 | 677 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Santiagos go by each one.
Santiago popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 137 since 1925, 6 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #26 | 7,554 |
| 2020 | #71 | 4,687 |
| 2010 | #134 | 3,012 |
| 2000 | #359 | 739 |
| 1990 | #565 | 324 |
| 1980 | #538 | 252 |
| 1970 | #587 | 191 |
| 1960 | #620 | 158 |
| 1950 | #593 | 132 |
| 1940 | #737 | 70 |
| 1930 | #557 | 117 |
| 1920 | #731 | 80 |
| 1910 | #545 | 28 |
| 1900 | #779 | 12 |
| 1890 | #729 | 9 |
| 1880 | #558 | 12 |
How popular is Santiago, counting every spelling?
Santiago has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #31 for boys in 2025, against #26 on the official list, because Jackson/Jaxon/Jaxson and Miles/Myles/Mylez and Kayden/Kaiden/Caden move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Santiago?
7,554 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Santiago (2.09 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Santiago born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 26. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Santiago.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Santiago?
About 98,600 people born in the US named Santiago are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 17. That makes Santiago a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Santiago by state
How common Santiago was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (3.2×), Nevada (2.6×), Arizona (2.5×), California (2.5×), Texas (2.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Hampshire, Montana, North Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Santiago: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Santiago, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Santiago · Sibling names for Santiago
Questions about the name Santiago
What does Santiago mean?
Santiago means “Saint James” (Spanish, Hebrew (via James) origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Santiago?
Santiago was the 26th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 7,554 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 101 places. More babies were named Santiago in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Santiago a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Santiago in the US.
Where is Santiago most popular?
In 2021–2025, Santiago was most common in New Mexico (11.87 per 1,000 boys), followed by Nevada and Arizona.