Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Greek ἕρση (herse) meaning “dew”. In Roman legend this was the name of a Sabine woman who became the wife of Romulus.
Possibly a shortened form of Santiago. In medieval records Diego was Latinized as Didacus, and it has been suggested that it in fact derives from Greek διδαχή (didache) meaning “teaching”. Saint Didacus (or Diego) was a 15th-century Franciscan brother based in Alcalá, Spain. Other famous bearers of this name include Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) and Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona (1960-).