Given name
Iago
“he who supplants”
In Spanish use, Iago has a related form in Yago. In Hebrew use, Yago carries the interpretation “he who supplants.” Iago is a form of James. James is traditionally associated with “he who supplants” through its connection with Jacob. The explanation belongs to the biblical Jacob story, rather than describing a separate meaning created by the English spelling James.
Original SpanishJacob
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Spanish use, Iago carries the interpretation “he who supplants.” In Spanish use, Iago has a related form in Yago. In Hebrew use, Yago carries the interpretation “he who supplants.” Iago is a form of James. James is traditionally associated with “he who supplants” through its connection with Jacob. The explanation belongs to the biblical Jacob story, rather than describing a separate meaning created by the English spelling James.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Spanish.
How it developed
Iago is used as a form of James. Iago is a form of James. The shared background comes through James: The route to James passes through Late Latin Iacomus, a variant of the Latin form of Jacob. This different Latin development helps explain how James and Jacob could become distinct English names while retaining the same older origin.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 2002. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Iago is a form of James. The history of James gives this family its wider story. James was borne by two New Testament disciples: James son of Zebedee and James son of Alphaeus. James later became a recurring Scottish royal name: James VI of Scotland took the English throne in 1603. After James II lost that throne in 1688, his family’s supporters became known as Jacobites, drawing on the Latin form of James.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Iago through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 96
- 96 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 10 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #12,732 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 12,732 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Iago’s family of names
In English usage, Iago shares an earlier linguistic root with James. In Welsh usage, Iago has a conventional equivalent in the English form Jacob. Iago is a form of James.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Iago has relatives in 13 languages. Lines run from its Spanish roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 23
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Jacobdoublet · Spanish, English
- Jaimedoublet · Spanish, Portuguese
- JacoboSpanish
- Jamesdoublet · English
- Santiagodoublet · English
- JakeEnglish
- Tiagodoublet · Portuguese
- Jacquesdoublet · English
Show 15 moreShow fewer
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Iago
- Iago AspasSpanish association football player (born 1987)
- Iago FalqueSpanish footballerborn 1990
- Iago HerrerínSpanish footballerborn 1988
- IagoBrazilian association football playerborn 1997
- Iago BouzónSpanish footballerborn 1983
- Iago ab Idwal ap MeurigPrince of Gwynedd974–1039
- Iago ap BeliKing of Gwynedd560–613
- Iago ab IdwalKing of Gwynedd908–979
- Iago TeodoroBrazilian footballerborn 2005
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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