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

Santana, 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 Santana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Santana in America

Santana is the 556th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Santana surname appeared 60,667 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 21 people would have the surname Santana.

We can also compare 2010 data for Santana 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 Santana

The surname Santana has its origins in Spain and Portugal, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Spanish word "santa" meaning "saint" and the Latin word "ana" meaning "grace" or "favor". It is believed that the name was initially given to individuals who lived near a church or chapel dedicated to a particular saint.

The earliest recorded instances of the Santana surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various Spanish and Portuguese historical documents. One notable example is the Libro de las Behetrias, a medieval census record from the region of Castile, which mentions several individuals with the surname Santana.

In the late 15th century, the Santana name gained prominence when it was borne by Diego Santana, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands alongside Juan Rejón in the late 1400s. Diego Santana played a significant role in the colonization efforts and was later granted land and privileges by the Spanish Crown.

Another notable figure with the Santana surname was Pedro Santana (1801-1864), a Dominican military leader and politician who served as the President of the Dominican Republic on multiple occasions during the mid-19th century. He played a pivotal role in shaping the country's political landscape and fought against the Haitian occupation of the Dominican Republic.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Santana name spread across various regions of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas, as a result of the Spanish colonization efforts. One prominent individual from this period was Gaspar Santana (1530-1596), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Miguel López de Legazpi on the expedition that led to the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.

In the 18th century, the Santana surname was also found in the Portuguese colonies, particularly in Brazil. One notable figure was José Santana de Camargo (1711-1789), a Brazilian military officer and explorer who played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of the interior regions of Brazil.

As the Santana name spread across different regions and cultures, various spelling variations emerged, such as Santanna, Santanna, and Santaña. Additionally, the name was sometimes combined with other surnames or place names, giving rise to variations like Santana de la Cruz or Santana y Martínez.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Santana

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

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

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

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