Thiago is a Portuguese and Brazilian form of James, taken from Santiago, Saint James, so it shares the meaning of the Hebrew Jacob: "holder of the heel" or "supplanter". It is one of the most common boys' names in Brazil and has spread through Latin America, with several well-known soccer players carrying it. In the United States Thiago ranked only number 4052 in 2000; it entered the top 1000 in 2012, the top 100 in 2023 and reached number 50 among boys in 2025, its highest rank yet.