Iago
Possibly derived from the Basque dialect, meaning "I rule".
Name Census estimates that about 90 living Americans carry the first name Iago. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Iago today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Iago births was 2022 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Iago. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Iago. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
90
~ 1 in 3,808,382 Americans
Peak year
2022
10 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,412
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Iago: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Iago from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 33 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Iago by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Iago during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Iago
The name Iago has its origins in the Basque language, spoken in parts of Spain and France. It is derived from the Basque word "iago," which means "to watch over" or "to guard." The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 12th century in the Basque region.
Iago gained prominence in English literature through William Shakespeare's play "Othello," written around 1603. In the play, Iago is the main antagonist, a villain who manipulates and betrays the protagonist, Othello. This association with treachery and deceit has influenced the perception of the name in English-speaking cultures.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Iago was Iago Arista (770-851), the first King of Pamplona in the Iberian Peninsula. He played a significant role in the resistance against the Moors during the Reconquista period.
Another notable figure was Iago Galván (1220-1283), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served under King Alfonso X of Castile. He was renowned for his bravery and military exploits during the Reconquista.
In the 16th century, Iago Ramos (1510-1580) was a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation of the globe. He was one of the few survivors of the expedition and provided valuable accounts of their journey.
The name Iago also found its way into religious circles. Iago de Valladolid (1452-1519) was a Spanish Dominican friar and theologian who played a significant role in the Spanish Inquisition and the conversion of Jews and Muslims to Christianity.
In the 18th century, Iago Andrada (1720-1792) was a prominent Portuguese architect and engineer. He designed several notable buildings, including the Basilica da Estrela in Lisbon, and contributed to the reconstruction efforts after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.
While the name Iago has a rich historical background, its association with Shakespeare's villainous character has made it less popular in modern times, particularly in English-speaking countries. However, it remains a traditional name in the Basque region and parts of Spain and Portugal.
People
Iago + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Iago as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Iago: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Iago?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 90 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Iago going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,808,382 US residents.
Is Iago a common name?
We classify Iago as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 91 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Iago most popular?
The single biggest year for Iago was 2022, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Iago is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Iago a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Iago in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.