Santonia
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from "santos" meaning saint.
Name Census estimates that about 20 living Americans carry the first name Santonia. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 52.4% of registrations being male. The average person named Santonia today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Santonia births was 1975 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Santonia. 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 Santonia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
20
~ 1 in 17,137,717 Americans
Peak year
1975
6 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
1984 SSA rank
#7,132
Tracked since 1975
Gender
Gender distribution for Santonia
Santonia is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 21 total registrations, 11 (52.4%) were male and 10 (47.6%) were female.
Santonia as a male name
- Ranked #7,132 in 1984
- 5 male births in 1984
- Peak: 1975 (6 births)
Santonia as a female name
- Ranked #17,422 in 2001
- 5 female births in 2001
- Peak: 1979 (5 births)
Popularity
Santonia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Santonia from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 11 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Santonia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Santonia 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 Santonia 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 Santonia
The given name Santonia has its origins in the ancient Etruscan civilization, which flourished in what is now modern-day Italy between the 8th and 3rd centuries BC. The name is derived from the Etruscan word "santun," meaning "sacred" or "divine." It was likely used as a name to honor one of the many deities in the Etruscan pantheon.
In the early centuries of the Roman Empire, the name Santonia was adopted by some Roman families, particularly those with Etruscan roots or connections. One notable historical figure who bore this name was Santonia Rufilla, a Roman noblewoman who lived in the 2nd century AD. She was known for her philanthropic works and was praised by the historian Cassius Dio for her virtues.
During the Middle Ages, the name Santonia fell out of common use but was occasionally revived by Italian families with a strong connection to their Etruscan heritage. In the 15th century, a prominent merchant from Florence named Santonia Bardi was renowned for his successful trading ventures and his patronage of the arts.
The Renaissance period saw a renewed interest in classical antiquity, and the name Santonia gained popularity once again. In the 16th century, Santonia Campana was a celebrated Italian painter and engraver whose works were highly prized by collectors across Europe.
In the 17th century, Santonia Aldobrandini was a Roman noblewoman and patron of the arts. She commissioned several notable works of art, including the famous "Aldobrandini Wedding" fresco, which is now housed in the Vatican Museums.
As the name Santonia spread beyond Italy, it was adapted to various linguistic and cultural contexts. In the 19th century, Santonia Perez was a Venezuelan revolutionary who fought alongside Simón Bolívar in the struggle for independence from Spanish rule.
While the name Santonia is relatively uncommon in modern times, it has a rich historical legacy that spans centuries and cultures, reflecting its Etruscan roots and its association with sacred and divine qualities.
People
Santonia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Santonia 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
Santonia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Santonia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 20 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Santonia 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 17,137,717 US residents.
Is Santonia a common name?
We classify Santonia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Santonia most popular?
The single biggest year for Santonia was 1975, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Santonia is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Santonia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Santonia a male name?
Yes, 52.4% of people registered as Santonia 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.
Is Santonia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Santonia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Santonia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Santonia?
Find out how many people have the name Santonia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.