Fun Facts About the Name Santiago
- Gaining ground: Santiago remained in the U.S. top 100 for 9 consecutive years, from 2017 through 2025. In 2025, it gained 3 ranking positions compared with the previous year.
- More than 103 thousand babies named Santiago: U.S. records list 103,923 babies given the name Santiago from 1880 through 2025. Even 137 girls received the name Santiago - about 1 girl for every 758 boys.
What Does the Name Santiago Mean?
Santiago is the Spanish devotional form of Saint James. It comes from the Latin Sanctus Iacobus, a phrase combining sanctus ("holy, saint") with Iacobus, the Latin form of the Greek Iakōbos and the Hebrew Ya'aqov (Jacob). In Old Spanish, Sant Yago ("Saint James") contracted into Santiago, with the second element Yago being an old Spanish form of James. Because Iacobus ultimately goes back to the biblical Jacob, the Hebrew name is traditionally explained as "supplanter" or "heel-holder," but that is the meaning of Jacob, not a literal translation of Santiago. The name's own literal sense is "Saint James," a devotional reference to the apostle James the Great.
Santiago Name History & Origins
Santiago emerged in the medieval Iberian Peninsula as a name for the apostle James the Great. Its earlier form was the Latin Sanctus Iacobus; in Old Spanish this became Sant Yago and then Santiago, a contraction that attached the "saint" element to the old form of James. The shrine traditionally held to be James's tomb at Santiago de Compostela in Galicia made the apostle a major pilgrimage figure from the ninth century, and the city's name comes directly from him. "Santiago" also served as a battle cry in the Christian reconquest of Iberia, and the Order of Santiago, founded in the twelfth century, took his name. As Spanish spread to the Americas, Santiago became both a given name and a frequent place name, as in Santiago de Chile and Santiago de Cuba. Portuguese uses the related form São Tiago for the saint, while Spanish and Galician use Santiago. In English, Santiago is used as a given name, often kept in its Spanish form.
How Popular is the Name Santiago?
Santiago recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Santiago entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 2017.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,642 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #13,223 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #14,962 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #8,529 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #17,709 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #15,611 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #8,792 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #18,753 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #14,718 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #9,878 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #13,360 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #17,094 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #8,603 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #13,424 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #11,637 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #10,530 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #8,501 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1930 | #5,148 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1929 | #5,181 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1925 | #5,657 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #26 | 7,554 | 0.4423% |
| 2024 | #29 | 7,407 | 0.4318% |
| 2023 | #45 | 6,353 | 0.3718% |
| 2022 | #49 | 6,033 | 0.3459% |
| 2021 | #63 | 5,073 | 0.2902% |
| 2020 | #71 | 4,687 | 0.2717% |
| 2019 | #70 | 5,047 | 0.2814% |
| 2018 | #82 | 4,669 | 0.2572% |
| 2017 | #93 | 4,203 | 0.2272% |
| 2016 | #106 | 3,719 | 0.1960% |
| 2015 | #127 | 3,219 | 0.1680% |
| 2014 | #116 | 3,426 | 0.1784% |
| 2013 | #126 | 3,032 | 0.1603% |
| 2012 | #122 | 3,050 | 0.1608% |
| 2011 | #131 | 3,070 | 0.1617% |
| 2010 | #134 | 3,012 | 0.1570% |
| 2009 | #130 | 3,126 | 0.1576% |
| 2008 | #171 | 2,340 | 0.1147% |
| 2007 | #200 | 1,968 | 0.0948% |
| 2006 | #232 | 1,552 | 0.0755% |
| 2005 | #278 | 1,205 | 0.0603% |
| 2004 | #292 | 1,089 | 0.0549% |
| 2003 | #319 | 928 | 0.0470% |
| 2002 | #322 | 863 | 0.0445% |
| 2001 | #342 | 803 | 0.0413% |
| 2000 | #359 | 739 | 0.0376% |
| 1999 | #404 | 600 | 0.0312% |
| 1998 | #446 | 509 | 0.0266% |
| 1997 | #448 | 498 | 0.0264% |
| 1996 | #508 | 407 | 0.0215% |
| 1995 | #498 | 427 | 0.0224% |
| 1994 | #510 | 391 | 0.0202% |
| 1993 | #529 | 376 | 0.0192% |
| 1992 | #517 | 386 | 0.0193% |
| 1991 | #529 | 364 | 0.0180% |
| 1990 | #565 | 324 | 0.0158% |
| 1989 | #539 | 323 | 0.0161% |
| 1988 | #600 | 245 | 0.0128% |
| 1987 | #564 | 257 | 0.0138% |
| 1986 | #594 | 224 | 0.0122% |
| 1985 | #534 | 266 | 0.0144% |
| 1984 | #519 | 270 | 0.0150% |
| 1983 | #547 | 237 | 0.0132% |
| 1982 | #515 | 272 | 0.0150% |
| 1981 | #502 | 281 | 0.0157% |
| 1980 | #538 | 252 | 0.0141% |
| 1979 | #551 | 242 | 0.0141% |
| 1978 | #572 | 215 | 0.0131% |
| 1977 | #541 | 236 | 0.0144% |
| 1976 | #534 | 228 | 0.0145% |
| 1975 | #563 | 206 | 0.0132% |
| 1974 | #558 | 207 | 0.0132% |
| 1973 | #579 | 188 | 0.0121% |
| 1972 | #600 | 178 | 0.0110% |
| 1971 | #597 | 193 | 0.0109% |
| 1970 | #587 | 191 | 0.0103% |
| 1969 | #626 | 159 | 0.0089% |
| 1968 | #616 | 153 | 0.0088% |
| 1967 | #626 | 145 | 0.0083% |
| 1966 | #633 | 137 | 0.0077% |
| 1965 | #628 | 147 | 0.0079% |
| 1964 | #642 | 148 | 0.0074% |
| 1963 | #649 | 148 | 0.0073% |
| 1962 | #704 | 120 | 0.0058% |
| 1961 | #648 | 148 | 0.0070% |
| 1960 | #620 | 158 | 0.0074% |
| 1959 | #673 | 129 | 0.0060% |
| 1958 | #628 | 150 | 0.0071% |
| 1957 | #688 | 124 | 0.0057% |
| 1956 | #618 | 152 | 0.0072% |
| 1955 | #689 | 115 | 0.0056% |
| 1954 | #653 | 125 | 0.0061% |
| 1953 | #647 | 122 | 0.0062% |
| 1952 | #614 | 134 | 0.0069% |
| 1951 | #571 | 146 | 0.0078% |
| 1950 | #593 | 132 | 0.0074% |
| 1949 | #589 | 133 | 0.0075% |
| 1948 | #602 | 127 | 0.0072% |
| 1947 | #667 | 108 | 0.0059% |
| 1946 | #555 | 132 | 0.0081% |
| 1945 | #523 | 132 | 0.0098% |
| 1944 | #591 | 109 | 0.0080% |
| 1943 | #641 | 100 | 0.0070% |
| 1942 | #605 | 109 | 0.0079% |
| 1941 | #642 | 91 | 0.0074% |
| 1940 | #737 | 70 | 0.0060% |
| 1939 | #651 | 84 | 0.0076% |
| 1938 | #608 | 96 | 0.0087% |
| 1937 | #659 | 82 | 0.0077% |
| 1936 | #606 | 93 | 0.0090% |
| 1935 | #638 | 86 | 0.0083% |
| 1934 | #614 | 94 | 0.0091% |
| 1933 | #614 | 90 | 0.0091% |
| 1932 | #631 | 90 | 0.0086% |
| 1931 | #581 | 102 | 0.0098% |
| 1930 | #556 | 118 | 0.0108% |
| 1929 | #555 | 114 | 0.0106% |
| 1928 | #510 | 141 | 0.0127% |
| 1927 | #582 | 114 | 0.0101% |
| 1926 | #688 | 86 | 0.0077% |
| 1925 | #616 | 104 | 0.0093% |
| 1924 | #581 | 121 | 0.0107% |
| 1923 | #624 | 105 | 0.0096% |
| 1922 | #684 | 91 | 0.0084% |
| 1921 | #671 | 94 | 0.0085% |
| 1920 | #731 | 80 | 0.0075% |
| 1919 | #689 | 82 | 0.0084% |
| 1918 | #868 | 59 | 0.0058% |
| 1917 | #917 | 49 | 0.0053% |
| 1916 | #874 | 53 | 0.0060% |
| 1915 | #772 | 61 | 0.0072% |
| 1914 | #722 | 53 | 0.0081% |
| 1913 | #705 | 43 | 0.0084% |
| 1912 | #780 | 32 | 0.0074% |
| 1911 | #854 | 16 | 0.0071% |
| 1910 | #545 | 28 | 0.0144% |
| 1909 | #571 | 22 | 0.0134% |
| 1908 | #741 | 14 | 0.0091% |
| 1907 | #992 | 9 | 0.0061% |
| 1906 | #845 | 10 | 0.0075% |
| 1905 | #1,213 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1904 | #560 | 17 | 0.0133% |
| 1903 | #691 | 12 | 0.0101% |
| 1902 | #852 | 9 | 0.0073% |
| 1901 | #632 | 12 | 0.0113% |
| 1900 | #779 | 12 | 0.0080% |
| 1898 | #697 | 11 | 0.0090% |
| 1895 | #603 | 13 | 0.0111% |
| 1894 | #1,062 | 6 | 0.0052% |
| 1893 | #822 | 8 | 0.0071% |
| 1892 | #853 | 8 | 0.0066% |
| 1891 | #831 | 7 | 0.0069% |
| 1890 | #729 | 9 | 0.0081% |
| 1888 | #808 | 8 | 0.0066% |
| 1887 | #454 | 15 | 0.0148% |
| 1886 | #1,083 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1885 | #573 | 12 | 0.0111% |
| 1884 | #747 | 8 | 0.0070% |
| 1883 | #789 | 7 | 0.0067% |
| 1881 | #585 | 10 | 0.0099% |
| 1880 | #558 | 12 | 0.0109% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Santiago
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Santiago Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Santiago's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Santiago's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.