At a glance
- In short
- Diego is a Spanish boy's name of uncertain origin, often linked to Santiago (Saint James).
- U.S. rank 2025
- #158 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 2,351 (0.13% of boys)
- Trend
- Slipping #126 in 2020 to #158 in 2025
- Peak
- #56 in 2006
- Top state
- #35 in New Mexico
- First recorded
- 1887
Meaning of Diego
Diego is a Spanish boy's name of uncertain origin. It is often explained as a form of Santiago, Spanish for Saint James, though its Latin form, Didacus, has also been linked to a Greek word for teaching. In Spanish it is pronounced dee-AY-go, and English speakers say it much the same way.
Two celebrated artists bore the name: Diego Velázquez, court painter to King Philip IV of Spain, and Diego Rivera, whose frescoes helped establish the Mexican mural movement. The California city of San Diego is named after Saint Diego of Alcalá, a 15th-century Spanish friar.
In the United States, Diego climbed from 628th in 1980 to its peak of 56th in 2006. It has slipped since then and ranked 158th in 2025, when 2,351 babies were given the name.
How to pronounce Diego
Spanish
- Pronounced dee-AY-go /diˈeɣo/
Popularity of Diego in the U.S.
Diego was the #158 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 2,351 babies. It peaked at #56 in 2006 and has been in the top 1,000 since 1963. It first appears in the records in 1887.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1887–2025 118 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,351 | 158 | ▼ 13 |
| 2024 | 2,511 | 145 | ▼ 10 |
| 2023 | 2,747 | 135 | ▼ 11 |
| 2022 | 2,970 | 124 | ▲ 2 |
| 2021 | 2,925 | 126 | – |
| 2020 | 2,910 | 126 | ▲ 3 |
| 2019 | 2,990 | 129 | ▲ 6 |
| 2018 | 2,884 | 135 | ▼ 6 |
| 2017 | 3,102 | 129 | ▲ 1 |
| 2016 | 3,201 | 130 | ▼ 5 |
| 2015 | 3,237 | 125 | ▲ 4 |
| 2014 | 3,171 | 129 | ▲ 1 |
| 2013 | 2,921 | 130 | ▼ 20 |
| 2012 | 3,337 | 110 | ▼ 11 |
| 2011 | 3,824 | 99 | ▼ 13 |
| 2010 | 4,719 | 86 | ▼ 10 |
| 2009 | 5,414 | 76 | ▼ 7 |
| 2008 | 6,572 | 69 | ▼ 11 |
| 2007 | 8,216 | 58 | ▼ 2 |
| 2006 | 8,403 | 56 | ▲ 6 |
| 2005 | 6,942 | 62 | ▲ 11 |
| 2004 | 5,876 | 73 | ▲ 10 |
| 2003 | 5,121 | 83 | ▲ 15 |
| 2002 | 3,979 | 98 | ▲ 41 |
| 2001 | 2,833 | 139 | ▲ 8 |
| 2000 | 2,685 | 147 | ▲ 2 |
| 1999 | 2,416 | 149 | ▲ 38 |
| 1998 | 1,807 | 187 | ▼ 1 |
| 1997 | 1,785 | 186 | ▲ 32 |
| 1996 | 1,380 | 218 | ▲ 10 |
| 1995 | 1,298 | 228 | ▲ 9 |
| 1994 | 1,260 | 237 | ▲ 62 |
| 1993 | 914 | 299 | ▲ 2 |
| 1992 | 890 | 301 | ▼ 6 |
| 1991 | 879 | 295 | ▲ 12 |
| 1990 | 830 | 307 | ▲ 8 |
| 1989 | 759 | 315 | ▲ 33 |
| 1988 | 596 | 348 | ▲ 20 |
| 1987 | 525 | 368 | ▲ 49 |
| 1986 | 421 | 417 | ▲ 50 |
| 1985 | 343 | 467 | ▲ 6 |
| 1984 | 317 | 473 | ▲ 36 |
| 1983 | 275 | 509 | ▲ 18 |
| 1982 | 262 | 527 | ▲ 59 |
| 1981 | 211 | 586 | ▲ 42 |
| 1980 | 193 | 628 | ▲ 94 |
| 1979 | 144 | 722 | ▼ 1 |
| 1978 | 136 | 721 | ▼ 35 |
| 1977 | 152 | 686 | ▲ 74 |
| 1976 | 119 | 760 | ▼ 76 |
| 1975 | 145 | 684 | ▲ 28 |
| 1974 | 133 | 712 | ▲ 54 |
| 1973 | 108 | 766 | ▲ 22 |
| 1972 | 103 | 788 | ▲ 11 |
| 1971 | 101 | 799 | ▲ 1 |
| 1970 | 103 | 800 | ▲ 46 |
| 1969 | 82 | 846 | ▲ 122 |
| 1968 | 57 | 968 | ▼ 93 |
| 1967 | 67 | 875 | ▼ 56 |
| 1966 | 79 | 819 | ▲ 78 |
| 1965 | 67 | 897 | ▲ 48 |
| 1964 | 65 | 945 | ▲ 39 |
| 1963 | 59 | 984 | ▲ 54 |
| 1962 | 54 | 1,038 | ▼ 10 |
| 1961 | 58 | 1,028 | ▲ 139 |
| 1960 | 45 | 1,167 | ▼ 99 |
| 1959 | 52 | 1,068 | ▼ 106 |
| 1958 | 62 | 962 | ▲ 237 |
| 1957 | 42 | 1,199 | ▲ 312 |
| 1956 | 27 | 1,511 | ▼ 198 |
| 1955 | 33 | 1,313 | ▼ 2 |
| 1954 | 33 | 1,311 | ▲ 67 |
| 1953 | 30 | 1,378 | ▲ 371 |
| 1952 | 19 | 1,749 | ▼ 106 |
| 1951 | 21 | 1,643 | ▼ 354 |
| 1950 | 31 | 1,289 | ▲ 8 |
| 1949 | 31 | 1,297 | ▲ 359 |
| 1948 | 20 | 1,656 | ▼ 293 |
| 1947 | 29 | 1,363 | ▲ 279 |
| 1946 | 19 | 1,642 | ▲ 130 |
| 1945 | 15 | 1,772 | ▼ 334 |
| 1944 | 22 | 1,438 | ▲ 48 |
| 1943 | 22 | 1,486 | ▼ 188 |
| 1942 | 29 | 1,298 | ▲ 113 |
| 1941 | 23 | 1,411 | ▲ 483 |
| 1940 | 14 | 1,894 | ▼ 15 |
| 1939 | 14 | 1,879 | ▼ 358 |
| 1938 | 20 | 1,521 | ▲ 55 |
| 1937 | 19 | 1,576 | ▲ 147 |
| 1936 | 16 | 1,723 | ▼ 333 |
| 1935 | 24 | 1,390 | ▲ 161 |
| 1934 | 20 | 1,551 | ▼ 190 |
| 1933 | 24 | 1,361 | ▲ 290 |
| 1932 | 19 | 1,651 | ▲ 119 |
| 1931 | 17 | 1,770 | ▲ 194 |
| 1930 | 15 | 1,964 | ▼ 586 |
| 1929 | 27 | 1,378 | ▲ 269 |
| 1928 | 21 | 1,647 | ▲ 101 |
| 1927 | 20 | 1,748 | ▼ 282 |
| 1926 | 25 | 1,466 | ▲ 727 |
| 1925 | 14 | 2,193 | ▼ 813 |
| 1924 | 29 | 1,380 | ▲ 561 |
| 1923 | 17 | 1,941 | ▲ 406 |
| 1922 | 13 | 2,347 | ▼ 367 |
| 1921 | 17 | 1,980 | ▲ 251 |
| 1920 | 14 | 2,231 | ▼ 536 |
| 1919 | 20 | 1,695 | ▲ 565 |
| 1918 | 13 | 2,260 | ▲ 472 |
| 1917 | 9 | 2,732 | ▼ 1,034 |
| 1916 | 18 | 1,698 | ▲ 760 |
| 1915 | 10 | 2,458 | ▼ 187 |
| 1914 | 9 | 2,271 | ▼ 326 |
| 1913 | 9 | 1,945 | ▼ 199 |
| 1912 | 9 | 1,746 | ▼ 359 |
| 1911 | 7 | 1,387 | ▼ 194 |
| 1910 | 8 | 1,193 | back (not recorded in 1904–1909) |
| 1903 | 5 | 1,130 | back (not recorded in 1888–1902) |
| 1887 | 5 | 921 | new |
Diego by state
Diego ranks #35 in New Mexico (2025).
Rank by state 39 states and DC
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 35 | 36 |
| California | 74 | 499 |
| Arizona | 75 | 100 |
| Texas | 83 | 476 |
| Florida | 115 | 186 |
| Illinois | 130 | 88 |
| Colorado | 134 | 52 |
| Nevada | 134 | 23 |
| Oregon | 135 | 30 |
| Maryland | 136 | 43 |
| Virginia | 159 | 56 |
| District of Columbia | 168 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 173 | 16 |
| Kansas | 175 | 22 |
| New Jersey | 177 | 57 |
| Washington | 182 | 48 |
| Georgia | 185 | 66 |
| Massachusetts | 202 | 31 |
| Delaware | 203 | 5 |
| Louisiana | 221 | 23 |
| North Carolina | 222 | 56 |
| Tennessee | 222 | 40 |
| Utah | 233 | 22 |
| Indiana | 236 | 35 |
| Connecticut | 249 | 13 |
| Wisconsin | 255 | 23 |
| New York | 276 | 67 |
| Minnesota | 287 | 21 |
| South Carolina | 287 | 19 |
| Oklahoma | 293 | 16 |
| Ohio | 312 | 38 |
| Alabama | 315 | 17 |
| Idaho | 332 | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | 342 | 32 |
| Kentucky | 345 | 14 |
| Iowa | 346 | 10 |
| Michigan | 409 | 21 |
| Mississippi | 415 | 7 |
| Arkansas | 444 | 7 |
| Missouri | 648 | 8 |
| U.S. territories | ||
| Puerto Rico | 27 | 45 |
Notable people named Diego
- Diego Maradona was an Argentine footballer and manager, widely hailed as one of the greatest and a joint winner of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century alongside Pele.
- Diego da Silva Costa is a professional football striker.
- Diego Velázquez — Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a leading Spanish Baroque painter at the court of King Philip IV, best known for his masterpiece Las Meninas.
- Diego Ribas da Cunha, known as Diego, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
- Diego Sebastian Schwartzman is an Argentine former tennis pro who reached world number 8 in 2020, won four ATP singles titles, and excelled as a clay court returner.
More people named Diego 9 more
- Diego Hernan Valeri is a retired Argentine attacking midfielder.
- Diego Rivera was a Mexican painter whose monumental frescoes helped establish the modern mural movement in Mexico and beyond.
- Diego Dionisio Luna Alexander is a Mexican actor director and producer best known as Cassian Andor in Rogue One and the Disney Plus series Andor, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama.
- Diego de Almagro was a Spanish conquistador who joined Pizarro in conquering Peru, helped found Quito and Trujillo as Spanish cities, led the first expedition to Chile, and was defeated at Las Salinas and executed in 1538 after a civil war over Cuzco.
- Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar was a Spanish conquistador and first governor of Cuba who led its conquest and colonization and chartered expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.
- Mexican footballer Diego Lainez Leyva is a winger for Tigres UANL and the Mexico national team.
- Diego Santiago Fagúndez Pepe is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club New England Revolution.
- Diego Portales was a Chilean statesman and entrepreneur who, as a dominant minister in the 1830s, helped enact the 1833 Constitution and shaped Chile into a centralized conservative republic.
- Diego Boneta is a Mexican actor, producer, and singer best known for Rock of Ages, the Netflix series about Luis Miguel, and the films Father of the Bride and At Midnight.