boy's name
Tiago
tee-AH-go
- Origin Portuguese
- Gender Boy
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 31,066
France
#79
2025 births
Tiago is a boy's name of Portuguese origin meaning "supplanter," a form of James created by a misdivision of Santiago. It ranks seventy-ninth in France and 580th in England and Wales, and is rising in both.
- Tiago is a name of Portuguese origin.
- Peaked in France in 2019, when 2,720 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 766 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1971.
Tiago over time
Births per decade in France, 1970s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 30 |
| 1980s | 95 |
| 1990s | 270 |
| 2000s | 3,410 |
| 2010s | 13,745 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,855 |
What Tiago means
Tiago carries the meaning of James, from the Hebrew Ya'aqov: supplanter, or one who takes by the heel, from the account of Jacob's birth holding his twin's heel. The name itself is a fragment rather than a word.
Where Tiago comes from
Tiago is one of the odder derivations in European naming. The Latin Sanctus Iacobus, Saint James, contracted in Iberian speech to Sant Iago and then Santiago, which was reanalyzed as San Tiago — as though Tiago were the name and San the title. Tiago and Thiago were extracted from that misdivision and became independent names in Portuguese and Spanish. Santiago de Compostela, where the apostle's relics are held, was the greatest pilgrimage destination in medieval Europe after Rome and Jerusalem, which is why the name saturated Iberian naming. The underlying Hebrew Ya'aqov gives James, Jacob, Jaime, Jacques and Diego alike.
Tiago in use
Tiago ranks seventy-ninth in France with about 775 births in 2025 and 580th in England and Wales, with a peak in our records in 2022. Its French presence reflects Portuguese migration rather than a general fashion, which distinguishes it from Alessio and Ezio in the same range. Our data carries it from 1982.
How popular is Tiago?
In 2025, Tiago was given to 770 babies in France, ranking #79 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Tiago is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Tiago is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Tïago | Tïago is a rare spelling of Tiago, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 55 times, mostly in France. | 55 |
Names that peaked alongside Tiago
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Tiago also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Tiago over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Tiago 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 Tiago
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Tiago — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Tiago
What does the name Tiago mean?
It carries the meaning of James, "supplanter," from the Hebrew Ya'aqov.
Where does Tiago come from?
From a misdivision of Santiago — Sant Iago was reanalyzed as San Tiago, and Tiago extracted as a name.
Is Tiago the same name as James?
Yes, by a long route. So are Jacob, Jaime, Jacques and Diego.
How popular is Tiago?
Seventy-ninth in France and 580th in England and Wales.
Is Tiago a girl's or a boy's name?
Tiago is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
Is Tiago a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Tiago currently ranks #79 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.