Santo
A masculine name of Italian origin meaning "saint" or "holy".
Name Census estimates that about 2,377 living Americans carry the first name Santo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Santo today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Santo births was 1925 (116 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Santo. 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.
People living today
2.4K
~ 1 in 144,196 Americans
Peak year
1925
116 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,254
Tracked since 1907
Popularity
Santo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Santo from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 953 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Santo 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 Santo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Santos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Santo, while Texas, Missouri, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 227 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Santo
The name Santo originates from the Spanish and Italian languages, deriving from the Latin word "sanctus," meaning "holy" or "sacred." It has been a widely used name across various regions influenced by these Romance languages, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula and Italy.
The earliest recorded use of Santo as a given name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it was commonly bestowed upon individuals with strong religious devotion or those associated with the Catholic Church. It often carried connotations of piety, virtue, and spiritual purity.
Throughout history, Santo has been borne by several notable figures. One of the most prominent was Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo (1538-1606), a Spanish-born Catholic saint who served as the Archbishop of Lima, Peru, during the Spanish colonial era. He is renowned for his efforts in evangelizing and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples.
Another notable figure was Santo Domingo de la Calzada (1019-1109), a Spanish priest and architect credited with the construction of the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. His name is closely associated with this significant religious and cultural landmark.
In the realm of literature, Santo Braschi (1753-1839) was an Italian poet and librettist known for his works in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He gained recognition for his contributions to Italian opera during the Romantic era.
The name Santo also appears in religious texts and historical records. For instance, Santo Domingo de Guzmán (1170-1221), the founder of the Dominican Order, is mentioned extensively in Catholic hagiographies and chronicles of the 13th century.
Additionally, Santo Pignone (1532-1601), an Italian Catholic priest and reformer, played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation movement and is celebrated for his writings on spiritual renewal and devotion.
While these are just a few examples, the name Santo has been carried by individuals across various fields, including religion, literature, and history, reflecting its enduring connection to spirituality and reverence.
People
Santo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Santo as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Santo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Santo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,377 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Santo 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 144,196 US residents.
Is Santo a common name?
We classify Santo as "Rare". It ranks above 94.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 4,844 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Santo most popular?
The single biggest year for Santo was 1925, when 116 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Santo is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Santo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Santo 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.