Diego has a complicated background. Some individuals accept it as a nickname for Santiago, while others believe it is the Spanish form of the Latin Didacus. In either case, Diego has a strong association and is a top 200 name for a boy of any culture.

Meaning of the name Diego:

Spanish: supplanter, teaching,

Origin of the name Diego:

Diego could have began as the shortened version of the name Santiago. Santiago is the Spanish version of the English James. Other Medieval stories say that Diego comes from the Latin Didacus, which comes from the Greek “didache” which means “teaching.”

Symbolism of the name Diego:

The baby name Diego has a complicated meaning. It could mean “supplanter” if it is the same as the baby name James, which comes from Diego being a nickname for Santiago. Still others state that it is the same as the Latin name Didacus as seen in Saint Diego or Didacus of Alcala, Spain during the 1400s.

Style of the name Diego:

Traditional

Gender of the name Diego:

The baby name Diego is a name for boys.

Pronunciation of the name Diego:

d-YEH-gho

Number of syllables in the name Diego:

Three

Emotion evoked from the name Diego:

Diego is a strong and attractive baby name. It is simple but carries with it a certain flair that is wholesome.

Alternative spellings for the name Diego:

  • Dyego
  • Diyego

Nicknames for the name Diego:

  • Di
  • Ego
  • Didi
  • Yeyo
  • Dego

Popularity of the name Diego:

The baby name Diego became popular in America in the mid to late twentieth century. It was a top 100 name for boys from 2002 to 2011, however, but remains a top 200 name. In the year 2020, Diego was rank 125 for boys.

Related names for the name Diego:

Great middle names for Diego and their meanings:

  • Oscar (friend of deer)
  • Max (greatest)
  • Omar (flourishing, long-lived)
  • Lawrence (bright one, shining one, man from Laurentum)
  • Ramon (mighty protection, counsel)
  • Lorenzo (man from Laurentum)
  • Joaquin (lifted by Yahweh)

Famous people with the name Diego:

  • Diego Rodriguez (painter from Spain)
  • Diego Klattenhoff (actor, “The Blacklist”)
  • Diego Maradona (Argentinian soccer player)
  • Diego Tinoco (actor, “On My Block”)
  • Diego Costa (professional soccer player)
  • Diego Boneta (actor, “Mean Girls 2”)
  • Diego Martin (actor, “Elite”)
  • Diego Luna (actor, “Narcos: Mexico”)

Diegos in popular culture:

  • Diego (main character from “Go, Diego, Go!”)
  • Diego de la Vega (Zorro from “Zorro”)
  • Diego (character from “Ice Age”)
  • Diego (character from “Sky”)
  • Diego Caplan (character from “Harry Potter”)
  • Diego Armando (Godot from “Ace Attorney” video game)