DeSanti last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name DeSanti is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named DeSanti.

Meaning of DeSanti

An Italian surname derived from 'de' meaning 'of' and 'Santi' meaning 'saints' or 'holy ones'.

DeSanti, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the DeSanti surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeSanti in America

DeSanti is the 27081st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeSanti surname appeared 894 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname DeSanti.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeSanti to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 27081 31492 -15.06%
Count 894 695 25.05%
Proportion per 100k 0.30 0.26 14.29%

The history of the last name DeSanti

The surname DeSanti has its origins in Italy, with the earliest records dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in the area around Naples and the Campania region. The name is thought to be derived from the Italian word "santo," meaning "saint," with the prefix "de" indicating a place of origin or a connection to a specific location.

One of the earliest known references to the DeSanti surname can be found in a document from the year 1492, which mentions a family by the name of DeSanti residing in the town of Amalfi, located on the Amalfi Coast. This document, preserved in the archives of the local church, records a transaction involving the sale of a property owned by the DeSanti family.

In the 16th century, the name DeSanti appeared in various historical records from the Kingdom of Naples. One notable mention is found in a manuscript from the year 1543, which details the appointment of a certain Girolamo DeSanti as a magistrate in the city of Salerno. This document suggests that the DeSanti family had already established a degree of prominence and influence in the region by that time.

As the centuries progressed, the DeSanti surname spread across Italy, with branches of the family settling in different regions. One of the earliest known examples of the name outside of Southern Italy is recorded in a birth registry from the city of Genoa, dated 1672. This registry lists the birth of a child named Giovanni DeSanti, the son of a merchant named Antonio DeSanti and his wife, Maria.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing the DeSanti surname was Francesco DeSanti, a renowned artist and sculptor who lived from 1724 to 1804. Born in Naples, Francesco gained recognition for his intricate marble sculptures, many of which can still be found adorning churches and public buildings throughout Italy.

Another notable individual was Giulio DeSanti, a scholar and philosopher who lived from 1781 to 1857. Giulio was born in the town of Potenza, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. He gained recognition for his philosophical works, which explored the concepts of morality and ethics, and his teachings influenced many subsequent thinkers of his time.

In the 19th century, the DeSanti surname continued to appear in various historical records across Italy. One example is the birth record of Giuseppe DeSanti, born in 1842 in the city of Palermo, Sicily. Giuseppe went on to become a prominent lawyer and was involved in several high-profile legal cases during his career.

As the DeSanti family spread across Italy and eventually to other parts of the world, the name underwent some variations in spelling, such as DeSantis, DeSanto, and DeSantos. However, the core meaning and origin of the surname remained rooted in the Italian heritage and its connection to the concept of "saints" or holy individuals.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeSanti

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname DeSanti.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for DeSanti was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.61% 819
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.45% 13
Hispanic Origin 6.04% 54

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of DeSanti has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.61% 93.09% -1.60%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.45% 1.87% -25.30%
Hispanic 6.04% 4.75% 23.91%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name DeSanti was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of DeSanti, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"DeSanti last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 11, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/desanti-surname-popularity/.

"DeSanti last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/desanti-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 July, 2025

DeSanti last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/desanti-surname-popularity/.

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