Boy name · Spanish
Santiago
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: Saint JamesSantiago is a boy's name that comes from Spanish and means "Saint James". It is used in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
- Meaning
- Saint James
- Origin
- Spanish
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #26 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Santiago
As a boy's name, Santiago comes from Spanish and means "Saint James". It is used in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Santiago is also a surname: the 238th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 125,697 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Santiago on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Santiago on 4 lists.
“Spanish, from Sant Iago, meaning Saint James”
From Nicknames for James, james in other languages
“Saint James; Spanish. Mexico's No. 1 boy name in 2020: 8,794 babies (INEGI)”
From Mexican boy names, popular Mexican boy names (INEGI 2020)
“Saint James, the patron saint of Spain”
From Mexican last names, religious and devotional Mexican surnames
“Saint James; Spanish. Spain's patron saint; Nobel scientist Ramón y Cajal”
From Spanish boy names, names of famous Spaniards
How popular is Santiago?
- US rank in 2025
- #26
- 7,554 babies, 4,423 per million boys
- Best rank
- #26 in 2025
- 7,554 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 103,828
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 70 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 54 per million |
| 1900s | 91 per million |
| 1910s | 71 per million |
| 1920s | 95 per million |
| 1930s | 88 per million |
| 1940s | 75 per million |
| 1950s | 66 per million |
| 1960s | 76 per million |
| 1970s | 126 per million |
| 1980s | 142 per million |
| 1990s | 220 per million |
| 2000s | 732 per million |
| 2010s | 1,938 per million |
| 2020s | 3,584 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #106 | #93 | #82 | #70 | #71 | #63 | #49 | #45 | #29 | #26 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Santiago
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Santitraditional short form (Spanish)
Names spelled like Santiago
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- SantinoLittle saint (Italian, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- MalcolmDevotee of Saint Columba (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- MaloneDevotee of Saint John (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- SinclairFrom Saint-Clair (French, boy)
- TelmoFrom a Spanish name for Saint Elmo (Spanish, boy)
- ThiagoSaint James (Portuguese, boy)
- ÉlodieFrench form of Alodia, a saint's name of uncertain origin (Latin, girl)
- ErenSaint, holy person (Turkish, boy)
- JamesonSon of James (English, boy)
- KidistHoly, saint (Amharic, girl)
- MalachyDisciple of Saint Seachnall (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Middle names for Santiago
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Spanish
- RioRiver (Spanish, unisex)
- BetoPet form of Alberto or Roberto (Spanish, boy)
- BienvenidoWelcome (Spanish, boy)
- ChemaPet form of José María (Spanish, boy)
- ChentePet form of Vicente (Spanish, boy)
- CheoPet form of José (Spanish, boy)
- ChepePet form of José (Spanish, boy)
- ChuchoPet form of Jesús (Spanish, boy)
- ChuyPet form of Jesús (Spanish, boy)
- DelmarOf the sea (Spanish, boy)
Santiago: common questions
What does the name Santiago mean?
Santiago comes from Spanish and means "Saint James".
Is Santiago a boy or girl name?
Santiago is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 6 girls and 7,554 boys in the US were named Santiago, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Santiago?
Common nicknames for Santiago include Santi.
How popular is the name Santiago?
Santiago ranked #26 in the US in 2025, with 7,554 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Santiago?
Names spelled like Santiago include Santino.
What middle names go with Santiago?
Middle names that flow well with Santiago include David, Ethan, Glenn, Isaac and Jonah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.