The first name Diego
A boy’s name from Spanish.
Pronounced /diˈeɪ.ɡoʊ/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Spanish origin
Borrowed from Spanish Diego, from an Iberian Didacus, of uncertain origin.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 87 boys were named Diego, making it the 444th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2015, with 107 births (#397).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Diego with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Diego at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,351 boys born in the United States were named Diego, the 158th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2006, when 8,403 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Diego in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Diego in Esperanto, French, Polish and Spanish too.
Famous people named Diego
162 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Diego MaradonaArgentine football player and manager (1960–2020)
- Diego CostaBrazilian association football player, born 1988
- Diego SimeoneArgentine association football player and manager (born 1970)
- Diego MilitoArgentine football player (1979-)
- Diego Ribas da CunhaBrazilian football player (born 1985)
- Diego PerottiArgentine association football player, born 1988
- Diego ContentoGerman footballer (born 1990)
- Diego AlvesBrazilian footballer, born 1985
- Diego CavalieriBrazilian association football player, born 1982
- Diego BuonanotteArgentinian association football player, born 1988
- Diego CarlosBrazilian association football player, born 1993
- Diego MoreiraBelgian association football player (born 2004)
More Spanish boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Diego mean?
- Borrowed from Spanish Diego, from an Iberian Didacus, of uncertain origin.
- What is the origin of the name Diego?
- Borrowed from Spanish Diego, from an Iberian Didacus, of uncertain origin.
- How popular is the name Diego?
- In 2025, 87 boys born in England and Wales were named Diego, ranking 444th. Its peak was 2015, with 107 births.
- Is Diego a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 126,405 US babies named Diego since 1880 were boys.
- When was Diego most popular?
- 2006 in the United States, when 8,403 babies were named Diego, its highest rank at 56th.
- How do you pronounce Diego?
- Diego is /diˈeɪ.ɡoʊ/, 3 syllables.
- Is Diego also a surname?
- Yes. Diego is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.