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

Santander, 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 Santander surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Santander in America

Santander is the 19210th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Santander surname appeared 1,413 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 Santander.

We can also compare 2010 data for Santander 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 Santander

The surname Santander is of Spanish origin, originating in the region of Cantabria in northern Spain. The name is derived from the toponym "Santander," which is the name of the capital city of Cantabria. The name Santander is believed to have its roots in the Latin phrase "Sanct Ander," meaning "Saint Andrew."

The earliest known record of the surname Santander dates back to the 12th century. In a document from 1185, a landowner named Pedro de Santander is mentioned, indicating the presence of the surname in the region during that time period. The name is also found in other medieval records and manuscripts from Cantabria and the surrounding areas.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Santander was Diego de Santander, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Diego de Santander played a crucial role in the establishment of the first European settlements in the Caribbean.

Another prominent figure was Rodrigo de Santander, a Spanish soldier and administrator who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1536 to 1544. His tenure was marked by efforts to establish a stable colonial administration and promote the conversion of indigenous populations to Christianity.

In the 18th century, José de Santander y Velasco (1688-1768) was a Spanish military engineer who served as the Governor of Cartagena de Indias, a major Spanish colonial city in present-day Colombia. He oversaw the construction of several fortifications and helped strengthen the city's defenses against foreign attacks.

During the 19th century, Francisco de Paula Santander (1792-1840) was a prominent Colombian military and political leader. He played a pivotal role in the struggle for independence from Spanish rule and served as the Vice President of Gran Colombia under Simón Bolívar.

Another notable individual was Miguel Santander (1789-1862), a Spanish painter and art educator. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, where he served as a professor and director.

The surname Santander has been associated with various places, particularly in Spain and Latin America. For example, the city of Santander in Cantabria, Spain, is named after the patron saint Andrew, reflecting the origins of the surname. Additionally, there is a municipality called Santander in the Colombian department of Cauca, likely named after Francisco de Paula Santander or other individuals with the same surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Santander

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

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

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

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