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

DeSanto, 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 DeSanto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeSanto in America

DeSanto is the 15499th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeSanto surname appeared 1,889 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname DeSanto.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeSanto 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.

The history of the last name DeSanto

The surname DeSanto originated in Italy, and is believed to have first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian words "de" meaning "from" and "santo" meaning "saint". The name likely referred to someone who lived near a church or holy site dedicated to a particular saint.

During the Middle Ages, surnames began to be used more widely as a way to distinguish between individuals with the same first name. DeSanto was a common surname in regions such as Sicily, Calabria, and Campania, where many towns and villages were named after local saints.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DeSanto appears in a 13th-century manuscript from the city of Palermo, Sicily. This document mentions a man named Giovanni DeSanto, who was a merchant and landowner.

In the 14th century, the name DeSanto can be found in records from the town of Caserta, near Naples. A family with this surname was involved in the local government and held positions of authority.

One notable person with the surname DeSanto was Francesco DeSanto, a Sicilian artist who lived in the 16th century (c. 1535-1592). He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes found in churches throughout Sicily.

Another individual of note was Girolamo DeSanto (1592-1668), a Neapolitan philosopher and theologian. He wrote several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy, which were widely read throughout Europe.

In the 18th century, a man named Vincenzo DeSanto (1712-1782) was a renowned architect from Calabria. He designed several churches and public buildings in his hometown of Reggio Calabria, as well as in other cities in southern Italy.

A more recent historical figure was Giuseppe DeSanto (1856-1934), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament in the early 20th century, representing the region of Campania.

Throughout its history, the surname DeSanto has been associated with various place names in Italy, such as Santo Stefano, San Pietro, and other towns named after saints. The spelling has remained relatively consistent over time, although variations like De Santo and Di Santo have also been used.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeSanto

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

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 DeSanto was:

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 DeSanto has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 DeSanto was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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