boy's name
Santiago
san-tee-AH-go
- Origin Spanish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 4
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 110,716
the United States
#26
2025 births
Santiago is a boy's name of Spanish origin meaning "Saint James." It contracts Sant Iago, the Spanish form of the saint's name, and refers to Santiago de Compostela, the cathedral city in Galicia that has drawn pilgrims along the Camino since the ninth century.
- Santiago is a name of Spanish origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 7,560 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 439 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Santiago over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 77 |
| 1890s | 62 |
| 1900s | 123 |
| 1910s | 476 |
| 1920s | 1,060 |
| 1930s | 940 |
| 1940s | 1,111 |
| 1950s | 1,330 |
| 1960s | 1,464 |
| 1970s | 2,094 |
| 1980s | 2,646 |
| 1990s | 4,283 |
| 2000s | 14,637 |
| 2010s | 36,498 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 37,164 |
What Santiago means
Santiago means Saint James, fused into a single word. Its underlying meaning therefore runs back through James to the Hebrew Ya'aqov, usually read as "supplanter" or "holder of the heel," though the name functions as a devotional reference to the saint rather than a translation.
Where Santiago comes from
Santiago is a contraction of Sant Iago, the medieval Spanish for Saint James, where Iago derives from the Latin Iacobus and ultimately the Hebrew Ya'aqov. The name is inseparable from Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, where tradition holds the apostle James the Greater is buried; the shrine became one of the three great Christian pilgrimage destinations of the Middle Ages, alongside Rome and Jerusalem, and the Camino de Santiago is still walked today. James was adopted as the patron saint of Spain, and the name traveled with Spanish settlement to the Americas, which is why Santiago names cities in Chile, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.
Santiago in use
Santiago names the pilgrimage city, the saint, and the route — all from the same fused phrase.
How popular is Santiago?
In 2025, Santiago was given to 7,560 babies in the United States, ranking #26 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Santiago is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Santiago
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Santiago also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Santiago over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
6 nicknames for Santiago
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Santiago in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Santiago
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Santiago — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Santiago
What does the name Santiago mean?
Santiago means "Saint James," contracted from the Spanish Sant Iago.
Is Santiago related to Diego?
Both descend from Iago, the Spanish form of James, though the exact path to Diego is debated.
What is the Camino de Santiago?
A pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, where the apostle James is traditionally said to be buried.
How popular is the name Santiago?
In 2025, Santiago was given to 7,560 babies in the United States, ranking #26 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Santiago a girl's or a boy's name?
Santiago is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Santiago?
Santiago has 4 syllables.
When was Santiago most popular?
Santiago peaked in 2025, when 7,560 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Santiago?
Santiago is usually shortened to Santi, Tiago, Iago, San, Santo and Yago.
Is Santiago a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Santiago currently ranks #26 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.