Diego

All Music Guide:

Mexican pop icon Diego Gonzalez, known to fans worldwide by his first name alone, was born Diego Andres Gonzalez Bonetta on November 29, 1990, in Mexico City. His first show business success came via the American Idol-like show Codigo F.A.M.A., on which he took fifth place. Though he didn't attain the title, Diego took a good amount of recognition with him from F.A.M.A., which he used to leverage the start of his acting career. Gonzalez made his TV debut playing the role of Ricardo on the telenovela Alegrijes y Rebujos. Widespread success was won with his next role, playing Christian on the telenovela Misión S.O.S, for which he received a nomination for Best Actor at the TVyNovelas awards. The role that made Diego a youth culture household name was that of Rocco on the breakout success Rebelde. Playing a music-obsessed teen on the show, Diego watched many of the other cast members go on to achieve huge record industry success as part of the spinoff band RBD. Though enjoying his film success, Gonzalez longed to make the transition into a recording artist rather than be limited to acting. He was offered a chance to do so, recording a number of songs for the Misión S.O.S soundtrack album, which was certified double platinum and went on to be nominated for a Latin Grammy. As Gonzalez's singing career became more serious, he sought training with superstar vocal coach Seth Riggs, veteran of Michael and Janet Jackson. Signed to EMI Mexico, Diego issued his debut single, "Aqui Voy," which found its way onto various reality TV soundtracks. When the time came for Diego's debut record release, his popularity throughout Latin America was such that the album was a guaranteed success. Released during 2005 in Mexico, July 2006 in a Brazilian Portuguese edition, August 2006 throughout South America, and finally April 2007 in the U.S. market, the album made Diego a huge pop hit throughout the Western Hemisphere. Hit singles such as "Responde," "Más," and "Sólo Existes Tú" have kept Diego Gonzalez on regional charts for months at a time.

Wikipedia:

Diego is a Spanish male name derived from the Hebrew Yaʻăqōbh (Jacob), via the name of Saint James the Greater (Sant Yago), re-analysed as Santiago and San Diego. The assimilation of the final of Sant into the name is attested in other saints' names, including Spanish and Portuguese Telmo 'Elmo' (< Sant Elmo) and Slovenian Tilen 'Giles' (< Šent Ilen).

Diego is a very popular name in the Spanish-speaking world. In Brazil/Portugal, France and Italy it is a very widespread name as well (as are other Spanish names such as Fernando). For example: due to the Spanish influence from the days of the kingdom of Naples, on the death of king Alfonso I of Naples (also known as Alfonso V of Aragon) in 1458, a famous elegy was composed by one Diego del Castillo.

The patronymic for Diego is Díaz in Castillian (used for example by Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, better known as El Cid) and Dias in Portuguese. Like many patronymics, these have become common surnames in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking regions. The form Diéguez is much less common; Diegues can be found in Portuguese-speaking countries. de Diego and Diego can also be found as surnames.

Medieval usage of different forms

During Medieval times, the names "Sant Yago", "Diago" and "Diego" seem to have coexisted.

"Sant Yago" is used, for example, in a letter by James II of Aragon dated 1300: "[...] maestro de la cavalleria de Sant Yago et de la dita orden [...]".

"Diago" is recorded, for example, in "Et fue a casa del Rey. e mostrolo a don diago que era adelantado del Rey" (Fuero de Burgos, ca. 1240)

El Cid's father was named Diego Laínez. Since El Cid is believed to have been born around 1040, the name Diego can be placed in Castile at the beginning of the 11th century.

The name Didacus

Diego was translated into Latin as "Didacus" ("learned person"), which is retrospectively traced to the Greek Διδάχος, Didákhos, "teacher", from διδάσκειν, didáskein, "to teach". Thus, for example, the usual English language name for San Diego de Alcalá (after whom San Diego, California is named) is "Didacus of Alcalá".

This form, and its Spanish equivalent "Didaco", were most likely created in retrospect (that is, to translate Diego into Latin, as opposed to being the source of the name Diego). There are no mentions of Spanish people named Didacus during the Middle Ages. During those times, it was common practice to Latinize existing names, as in Ludovicus for Ludwig (Luis in Spanish).

Even so, some have insisted on deriving Diego from Didacus; nineteenth-century Spanish author Benito Pérez Galdós has a passage in his National Episodes Series 4 (Narváez) that reads:

Su nombre es Didaco o Yago, aunque vulgarmente lo llaman Diego. (His name is Didaco or Yago, but he is commonly called Diego.)

Modern usage

In today's Spanish-speaking countries, Diego and Santiago are common as given names; Diego, Santiago and Sandiego are found as surnames.

The forms Tiago, Thiago, Diago and Diogo are seen mostly in Portuguese speaking (lusophone) countries.