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Thiago

chee-AH-goo /tʃiˈaɡu/ Portuguese

At a glance

In short
Thiago is the Portuguese form of James meaning supplanter.
U.S. rank 2025
#50 of boy names
Babies in 2025
5,835 (0.32% of boys)
Trend
Rising #168 in 2020 #50 in 2025
Peak
#50 in 2025
Top state
#10 in Maryland
First recorded
1986

Meaning of Thiago

Thiago is the Portuguese form of James, which derives from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (Jacob) and is usually glossed as "supplanter" or "holder of the heel." In Portuguese tradition the name came through Santiago — Sant'Iago, Saint James — so it shares its root with the Spanish Santiago and with the shorter Portuguese Tiago.

Pronunciation differs by language. In Portuguese it is chee-AH-goo, with the initial t sounded as "ch"; in Spanish it is tee-AH-go.

Among the best-known bearers is Thiago Alcântara, the Brazilian-Spanish midfielder who played for Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool. The name is common among Brazilian athletes generally, including the tennis player Thiago Monteiro and the longtime UFC veteran Thiago Alves.

In the United States the name was rare a generation ago: six boys received it in 1986, when it ranked 5926. It climbed steeply through the 2010s, from 488 in 2013 to 141 in 2021, and entered the top 100 in 2023 at 72. In 2025 it reached rank 50 with 5,835 boys, its highest placement and largest count so far.

How to pronounce Thiago

Portuguese

Spanish

Popularity of Thiago in the U.S.

Thiago was the #50 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 5,835 babies. It has been in the top 100 since 2023. It first appears in the records in 1986.

Bar and line chart: Thiago in the U.S., 1986–2025. Bars: boys given the name each year, most 5,835 in 2025. Line: rank among boy names, peak #50 in 2025.
  • Boys named Thiago (left scale)
  • Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
By year, 1986–2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Year-by-year table, 1986⁠–⁠2025 40 rows
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
20255,83550▲ 5
20245,30455▲ 17
20234,51572▲ 35
20223,467107▲ 34
20212,714141▲ 27
20202,305168▲ 16
20192,133184▲ 16
20182,023200▲ 17
20171,766217▲ 51
20161,370268▲ 66
20151,032334▲ 57
2014797391▲ 97
2013561488▲ 369
2012246857▲ 163
20111881,020▲ 39
20101811,059▲ 84
20091601,143▲ 324
20081121,467▲ 461
2007731,928▲ 198
2006612,126▲ 402
2005442,528▲ 546
2004323,074▼ 1,168
2003611,906▲ 911
2002332,817▲ 695
2001243,512▲ 410
2000203,922▲ 840
1999144,762▲ 1,552
199896,314▲ 967
199777,281▼ 2,094
1996115,187▲ 1,805
199576,992▼ 2,898
1994154,094▲ 603
1993124,697▲ 963
199295,660▼ 900
1991114,760▼ 353
1990124,407▲ 758
198995,165▼ 1,250
1988123,915▲ 658
198794,573▲ 1,353
198665,926new

Thiago by state

Thiago ranks #10 in Maryland (2025).

Map: Thiago's 2025 rank among boy names in each U.S. state
Rank among boy names by state, 2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Rank by state 42 states and DC
StateRankBabies
Maryland10168
Florida13649
New Jersey20253
Nevada2270
Texas23887
Georgia35216
California36801
Colorado36125
New York37377
Nebraska3944
Virginia41160
District of Columbia4316
North Carolina44215
Rhode Island4418
Illinois45200
Alabama4681
Delaware4817
Arizona54122
South Carolina5480
Tennessee55133
Connecticut5558
Oregon5958
New Mexico6726
Massachusetts6993
Utah7661
Louisiana8057
Iowa8242
Kansas8240
Washington8985
Indiana9480
Arkansas9933
Minnesota10659
Oklahoma10943
Kentucky11349
Idaho11322
Pennsylvania116109
Wisconsin11652
Missouri12955
Ohio15191
South Dakota1718
Hawaii1806
Mississippi20115
Michigan22544
U.S. territories
Puerto Rico3237

Notable people named Thiago

  • Thiago Moura Monteiro is a Brazilian professional tennis player who peaked at 61 in singles and 144 in doubles and is currently third among Brazilian players.
  • Thiago Alcântara do Nascimento is a former professional footballer and midfielder who, born in Italy to Brazilian parents, played for Spain and won major honours with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
  • Thiago Alves is a Brazilian former MMA and bare knuckle fighter, a veteran of 27 UFC fights from 2005 to 2019, and a striking coach at American Top Team since 2017.
  • Thiago Silva is a Brazilian kickboxer and mixed martial artist who competes at light heavyweight for Eagle FC and, since 2005, has fought in major promotions like the UFC, WSOF, ACB, KSW, and Pancrase.
  • Thiago Seyboth Wild is a Brazilian tennis pro who peaked at world number 58 in singles in May 2024 and number 197 in doubles in May 2023, and he is currently ranked second among Brazilian players.
More people named Thiago 10 more
  • Thiago Maia is a Brazilian midfielder for Internacional in the Brazilian Serie A.
  • Thiago Neves Augusto is a retired Brazilian footballer known for playing as an attacking midfielder.
  • Argentine futsal player Thiago Prieto Acosta plays for San Lorenzo, made seven youth appearances for Argentina with one goal, and became the youngest Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores champion in Uruguay in 2021.
  • Thiago Ribeiro Lacerda is a well known Brazilian actor.
  • Thiago Amaral is a Brazilian attacking midfielder who plays for Tripoli in the Lebanese Second Division.
  • Thiago de Mello was a celebrated Brazilian poet, writer, translator, and environmental activist, an icon of Amazonian literature whose work has been widely translated.
  • Thiago Nicolas Borbas Silva is a Uruguayan forward for Brazilian club Red Bull Bragantino.
  • Thiago Araujo da Silva is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for Comercial Futebol Clube.
  • Thiago Henrique Mendes Ribeiro is a Brazilian footballer for Vasco da Gama, playing defensive midfield and center back in Brazil's Serie A.
  • Thiago de Los Reyes Peixoto is an actor from Brazil.