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Diego as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Diego

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The baby name Diego is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced Spanish: /ˈdjeɣo/ (DEE-eh-go); English: /diˈeɪɡo/ (dee-AY-go).

Diego is Spanish in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 3.0
Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: Spanish: /ˈdjeɣo/ (DEE-eh-go); English: /diˈeɪɡo/ (dee-AY-go)

What is the meaning of the name Diego ?

The baby name Diego is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced Spanish: /ˈdjeɣo/ (DEE-eh-go); English: /diˈeɪɡo/ (dee-AY-go).

Diego is Spanish in Origin.

Diego is a Spanish given name with a layered etymology. Medieval records show forms Diago/Diego, often Latinized as Didacus; many scholars derive it from Didacus of uncertain Iberian origin, sometimes linked to Greek didachē “teaching,” yielding senses like “learned” or “instructed.” Folk and older lexicographic traditions instead connect Diego to Santiago/Iago from Latin Iacobus, which would align the meaning with “supplanter” (as with James/Jacob). Both readings circulate in modern usage.

The name has been common across Spain and the Hispanic world since the Middle Ages, reinforced by San Diego (Saint Didacus of Alcalá), and borne by figures such as the painter Diego Velázquez and footballer Diego Maradona. Variants and cognates include Portuguese Diogo and Thiago/Tiago, Galician Iago, Catalan Dídac, and Spanish Jaime/English James as related equivalents. Diminutives like Dieguito appear in colloquial Spanish.

Diego has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Diego

Diego Maradona Actor · Born 1960 · Argentina Diego Maradona was an Argentine footballer, considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He is best known for his performances in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, where he led Argentina to victory and scored the famous 'Hand of God' goal. Maradona also played for clubs like Napoli and Barcelona. Diego Boneta Actor · Born 1990 · United States Diego Boneta is an actor from the United States, best known for his role as Luis Miguel in the popular biographical series 'Luis Miguel: The Series'. He also starred in the musical film 'Rock of Ages' alongside Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough. Diego Klattenhoff Actor · Born 1979 · Canada Diego Klattenhoff is a Canadian actor best known for his role as Mike Faber in the television series Homeland. He also stars as Donald Ressler in the popular TV show The Blacklist. Born in 1979, he has become a familiar face on both Canadian and American screens.
Diego Tinoco Actor · Born 1997 · United States Diego Tinoco is best known for his role as Cesar Diaz in the Netflix series On My Block. Born in 1997 in the United States, he has captured audiences with his portrayal of a young man navigating life in a rough neighborhood. Diego Calva Actor · Born 1992 · Mexico Diego Calva is a Mexican actor best known for his role in the film 'Babylon', where he starred alongside Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. Born in 1992, he has quickly gained recognition for his compelling performances in both Mexican and international cinema. Diego Torres Actor · Born 1971 · Argentina Diego Torres is a well-known Argentine singer and actor, famous for his hit song 'Color Esperanza'. Born in 1971, he has also appeared in several films and television shows, showcasing his versatility as an entertainer.

Celebrity babies named Diego

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Diego Sinagra Diego Maradona association footballer ★★★★★
Diego Turturro Katherine Borowitz television actor ★★★★★ John Turturro film director ★★★★★
Diego Abreu Sebastián Abreu association footballer ★★★★★
Diego Le Fur Maïwenn film director ★★★★★

Diego – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 — 836
Germany Boys 2025 #1 — 423
UY 0 #1 540 2,477
AR 0 #4 466 2,915
UY Boys 0 #7 10,896 5,922
AR Boys 0 #8 12,419 7,628
CO Boys 0 #9 85,918 15,656
CO 0 #9 5,848 7,768
IT Boys 2024 #10 2,645 47
PE 0 #10 872 6,350
EC Boys 0 #11 1,265 3,322
SV 0 #11 1 283
CL Boys 0 #12 33,312 13,390
CR Boys 0 #12 4,889 10,188
CR 0 #12 262 5,526
EC 0 #15 139 2,502
CL 0 #16 2,551 6,867
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
BO Boys 0 #18 8,333 9,244
BO 0 #19 1,004 6,868
PE Boys 0 #19 21,703 14,506
SV Boys 0 #20 9 352
HN 0 #21 2 704
Spain Boys 0 #22 35,274 5,610
GT 0 #28 686 5,948
NA 0 #28 6 2,537
BR Boys 0 #29 20,946 12,213
Switzerland Boys 2024 #33 140 1,769
GT Boys 0 #33 3,824 7,625
MX Boys 0 #33 35,972 16,355
MD 0 #34 1 434
BR 0 #36 817 5,969
EE 0 #37 1 1,051
HN Boys 0 #37 16 749
MT 0 #42 2 1,767
Spain 0 #44 1,591 2,326
PA 0 #44 93 3,797
PR 0 #50 6 1,497
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
MX 0 #56 954 8,339
IT Boys 0 #57 61,182 10,046
PA Boys 0 #60 2,176 9,305
LU 0 #63 4 2,830
JP 0 #67 11 4,057
AO 0 #70 8 2,729
France Boys 2021 #71 826 2,865
AL 0 #75 2 2,372
MV Boys 0 #75 5 3,375
MD Boys 0 #81 1 756
CN 0 #82 5 3,857
PR Boys 0 #86 111 2,508
IT 0 #98 3,502 4,183
QA 0 #100 7 7,011
TW 0 #102 2 4,523
PH 0 #107 4 5,607
GE Boys 0 #109 2 2,055
HU 0 #114 2 1,675
Belgium Boys 2024 #116 73 401
OM 0 #116 6 6,215
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
MU 0 #130 8 3,613
PT Boys 0 #130 483 7,951
AZ Boys 0 #131 1 1,400
BW Boys 0 #131 19 4,685
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
ID Boys 0 #131 5 4,130
Norway Boys 2023 #132 4 460
IQ 0 #132 2 3,533
GR 0 #135 1 3,911
BN Boys 0 #137 3 6,332
United States Boys 2024 #140 2,506 7,044
LU Boys 0 #149 70 4,970
LT Boys 0 #150 2 2,166
MT Boys 0 #153 24 4,064
RS Boys 0 #153 2 2,277
JP Boys 0 #159 151 7,909
PR Girls 0 #164 4 3,171
AE 0 #165 13 10,220
HU Boys 0 #166 9 3,954
Sweden Boys 2022 #171 12 1,509
AO Boys 0 #172 72 5,568
HR 0 #174 8 2,081
CZ 0 #181 6 3,154
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
RU 0 #192 3 3,641
NA Boys 0 #194 42 6,830
HR Boys 0 #195 70 3,997
DK 0 #201 6 5,198
SI Boys 0 #204 8 3,402
BG Boys 0 #207 13 3,850
MO Boys 0 #210 14 5,842
PT 0 #212 35 4,161
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
PS 0 #219 8 5,692
TW Boys 0 #222 20 7,111
CN Boys 0 #226 97 9,639
IR 0 #226 6 4,221
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
NA Girls 0 #236 2 7,146
GH 0 #243 6 5,396
JM Boys 0 #248 25 6,876
JP Girls 0 #250 2 6,592
EC Girls 0 #251 8 3,650
GR Boys 0 #252 16 6,912
Canada Boys 2024 #255 52 2,588
IL 0 #260 15 6,291
CZ Boys 0 #264 41 6,530
MU Boys 0 #266 93 8,477
AL Boys 0 #267 32 5,122
NG 0 #268 5 5,926
KZ Boys 0 #276 14 6,578
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
SG 0 #281 2 11,010
DK Boys 0 #283 43 7,401
PL Boys 0 #292 44 6,459
PH Boys 0 #298 86 11,440
SA 0 #304 9 10,560
GH Boys 0 #313 33 8,138
NL Boys 0 #335 1,058 5,873
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
HK 0 #349 9 8,483
NL 0 #349 43 2,481
MY 0 #350 5 12,352
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
Austria Boys 0 #372 71 2,180
CM Boys 0 #384 180 12,054
JO Boys 0 #385 5 7,057
Finland Boys 0 #393 35 2,041
Germany 0 #394 44 2,542
YE 0 #395 4 8,639
RU Boys 0 #399 107 12,621
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
EG 0 #411 2 6,387
ZA 0 #413 35 14,421
OM Girls 0 #420 5 15,987
SD Boys 0 #423 23 10,523
PH Girls 0 #426 4 13,098
UY Girls 0 #435 76 6,731
PA Girls 0 #458 24 9,861
PT Girls 0 #467 5 7,952
GT Girls 0 #469 37 7,500
PS Boys 0 #482 67 10,655
HK Boys 0 #486 42 12,905
IL Boys 0 #488 120 10,983
IR Boys 0 #508 45 10,162
CR Girls 0 #518 15 11,342
LY 0 #519 17 12,703
RU Girls 0 #521 3 11,913
AR Girls 0 #530 70 8,289
BH 0 #539 15 17,937
BO Girls 0 #542 70 9,488
Germany Boys 0 #544 485 5,697
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
KW Girls 0 #560 2 19,177
Finland Boys 2026 #579 104 3,552
BD Boys 0 #599 7 10,045
SG Girls 0 #632 1 18,916
IQ Boys 0 #645 23 13,071
SG Boys 0 #645 53 17,960
CO Girls 0 #647 516 16,140
LB 0 #647 12 13,263
HK Girls 0 #649 2 16,104
QA Boys 0 #649 59 18,093
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
ZA Boys 0 #660 622 25,619
TN 0 #662 169 13,765
CL Girls 0 #675 177 14,098
KW Boys 0 #704 66 18,755
SY 0 #759 9 11,684
BR Girls 0 #778 165 12,708
Spain Girls 0 #779 206 5,561
PE Girls 0 #793 152 14,861
OM Boys 0 #818 64 17,948
NG Girls 0 #824 3 15,093
NG Boys 0 #824 128 16,906
EG Boys 0 #835 52 15,035
MX Girls 0 #890 305 17,781
United States Girls 2023 #910 5 8,600
MA 0 #913 216 20,986
SA Girls 0 #924 12 25,931
NL Girls 0 #945 11 5,933
MY Boys 0 #964 148 25,439
AE Boys 0 #984 109 22,615
EG Girls 0 #1,008 2 14,742
DZ 0 #1,013 164 20,130
IN Boys 0 #1,038 2 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,070 3 24,821
ZA Girls 0 #1,115 27 25,928
TR 0 #1,121 91 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,173 275 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,377 238 28,008

Diego is popular in 93 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
Belgium
Brussels, Belgium
Flanders, Belgium

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People also ask about Diego

Diego is predominantly a boy's name.
Diego is a 3 syllable name, pronounced Spanish: /ˈdjeɣo/ (DEE-eh-go); English: /diˈeɪɡo/ (dee-AY-go).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Diogo, Didacus, Iago, Santiago and Dieguito.
Across languages, Diego has these equivalents: James (English), Jacob (Hebrew/English), Jacques (French), Giacomo (Italian), Jaime (Spanish/Catalan), and 3 more.
Yes, very popular — Diego ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 12 countries.
Diego ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Diego's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #87 in 2011 to #71 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 8 notable people named Diego are in our database, including Diego Maradona (Actor), Diego Boneta (Actor), Diego Klattenhoff (Actor).
Yes — at least 4 celebrity couples have chosen Diego for their child, including Diego Maradona.