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

Santacruz, 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 Santacruz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Santacruz in America

Santacruz is the 4300th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Santacruz surname appeared 8,264 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Santacruz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Santacruz 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 Santacruz

The surname SANTACRUZ is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is a topographical name derived from the Spanish phrase "Santa Cruz," meaning "Holy Cross." The name was likely given to individuals who lived near a church, chapel, or landmark dedicated to the Holy Cross.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SANTACRUZ surname can be found in the Spanish town of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, located in the Canary Islands. This town, founded in the late 15th century, was named after the Holy Cross, and it is likely that some of the earliest individuals bearing the SANTACRUZ surname were from this region.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, as Spain expanded its territories through exploration and colonization, the SANTACRUZ surname spread to various parts of the Americas, including Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean. Some notable individuals with this surname from this period include:

1. Álvaro de Navia Osorio y Santa Cruz (1573-1632), a Spanish naval officer and explorer who was involved in the exploration of the Pacific Ocean.
2. Melchor de Santa Cruz de Dueñas (1520-1578), a Spanish Franciscan friar and author who wrote about the history of the Yucatán Peninsula.

As the Spanish Empire grew, the SANTACRUZ surname continued to spread and appear in various records and documents. In the 18th century, notable individuals with this surname include:

1. José de Santa Cruz y Calahorra (1707-1796), a Spanish military officer and governor of several Spanish territories in the Americas.
2. Francisco de Santa Cruz y Espejo (1704-1795), an Ecuadorian scientist and writer who was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment in Spanish America.

In the 19th century, the SANTACRUZ surname gained further prominence with individuals such as:

1. Andrés de Santa Cruz (1792-1865), a Bolivian military officer and politician who served as the President of Peru and Bolivia.
2. Rafael Santa Cruz (1834-1905), a Chilean painter and sculptor who is considered one of the most important artists of the 19th century in Chile.

Throughout history, the SANTACRUZ surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, religious figures, military leaders, politicians, and artists. While the name originated in Spain, it has become a part of the cultural heritage of many regions in Latin America and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Santacruz

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

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

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

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