2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sansosti
An Italian surname potentially derived from the phrase "senza sost" meaning "without means" or "poor".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Sansosti. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sansosti surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Sansosti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sansosti, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sansosti
The surname SANSOSTI has its origins in Italy, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "sanctus," meaning "holy" or "saint," combined with the name "Sosti," which may have been a personal name or a place name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SANSOSTI surname can be found in the chronicles of the Benedictine monastery of San Sosti in the Abruzzi region of central Italy. The monastery, which dates back to the 9th century, was dedicated to a local saint known as San Sosti, and it is likely that the surname originated from individuals associated with this religious institution.
In the 12th century, a document from the city of Benevento mentions a nobleman named Guglielmo SANSOSTI, who held land and property in the region. This suggests that the surname had already gained some prominence among the local nobility.
During the Renaissance period, the SANSOSTI family gained further recognition with the birth of Gian Battista SANSOSTI (1492-1575), a renowned Italian painter and architect. He was instrumental in the construction of several churches and palaces in Rome, including the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone and the Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne.
Another notable figure was Pietro SANSOSTI (1560-1628), a Jesuit scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on Catholic doctrine and philosophy. His treatise "De Sancta Trinitate" (On the Holy Trinity) was widely studied in Catholic seminaries across Europe.
In the 18th century, the SANSOSTI family produced another prominent member, Luigi SANSOSTI (1720-1795), a renowned sculptor and architect from Naples. His most famous work is the monumental fountain in the Piazza del Plebiscito, which he designed and constructed between 1757 and 1766.
The SANSOSTI surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Italy, such as the village of Sansosti in the province of Salerno, and the hamlet of Sansosti in the commune of Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname who had settled in those areas.
Overall, the surname SANSOSTI has a rich history deeply rooted in Italian culture, religion, and the arts. Its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period, and it has been borne by notable individuals in various fields, including painting, architecture, theology, and sculpture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sansosti
Among Census respondents with the surname Sansosti, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sansosti bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sansosti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 93
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sansosti
Sansosti appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,415 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,552 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 14,415 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 1,552 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sansosti surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #157,234 | #155,682 | 1.0% |
| Count | 103 | 100 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sansosti bearers went from 103 to 100 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 1,552 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,682.
FAQ
Sansosti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sansosti?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Sansosti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Sansosti?
Sansosti ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Sansosti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sansosti.
Has Sansosti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sansosti went from 103 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Sansosti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sansosti, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sansosti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sansosti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sansosti (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sansosti mean?
An Italian surname potentially derived from the phrase "senza sost" meaning "without means" or "poor". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sansosti (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Sansosti?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.