# Spanish "Jaime" and "Diego", do both translate roughly as "James"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-jaime-and-diego-do-both-translate-roughly-as-james/426558>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 15, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-jaime-and-diego-do-both-translate-roughly-as-james/426558 "2007-11-15T17:28:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-jaime-and-diego-do-both-translate-roughly-as-james/426558/1 "2007-11-15T17:28:00Z")

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The name Jaime certainly seems most like the English name, but on the other hand I can see that “Diego” descends from “Jacobus”\* through variants such as “Iago”. But how did Spanish evolve the variant “Jaime”–and how did we get “James” in English, in the first place?

\*“Jacob” being the original name from which “James” descended.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-jaime-and-diego-do-both-translate-roughly-as-james/426558/2 "2007-11-15T17:46:30Z")

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Latin: Jacobus  
Late Latin: Jacmus

And I’m sure you can see how Jacmus became James and Jamie.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-jaime-and-diego-do-both-translate-roughly-as-james/426558/3 "2007-11-15T17:47:00Z")

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Some info, but it basically says “no” about “Jaime.”

> **[How Is Diego the Spanish Name for James?](https://www.thoughtco.com/james-and-diego-common-origin-3079192)**
>
> The most common Spanish equivalent of James is Diego, yet the two names don't seem at all alike. Here's why.