Find out how popular the last name Santayana is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Santayana.
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Santa Ana, meaning "Saint Anne".
Santayana, 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 Santayana surname is from the 2010 census data.
Santayana is the 136449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Santayana surname appeared 123 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 Santayana.
We can also compare 2010 data for Santayana 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 136449 | 139757 | -2.40% |
| Count | 123 | 110 | 11.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.00% |
The surname Santayana has its origins in Spain. It is believed to have originated in the region of Cantabria, located in the north of Spain. The name is thought to be derived from the Latin word 'sanctus', meaning holy or sacred.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Santayana dates back to the 13th century. It is found in various historical documents from that period, including records from the town of Santayana in Cantabria. The name was also found in the Cartulario de Santa María de Aguilar de Campoo, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century.
In the 15th century, the surname Santayana was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Pedro de Santayana, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century.
Another notable figure was Juan de Santayana, a Spanish theologian and philosopher who lived in the late 16th century. He was a renowned scholar and wrote several works on theology and philosophy.
In the 17th century, the Santayana family produced another prominent figure, Francisco de Santayana y Bustillo, a Spanish military officer and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Philippines from 1663 to 1668.
The 19th century saw the birth of George Santayana, a philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist. Born in 1863 in Madrid, Spain, he is considered one of the most influential figures in American philosophy. His works, such as "The Life of Reason" and "The Realms of Being," explored themes of skepticism, materialism, and the unity of experience.
Another notable individual with the surname Santayana was Manuel Santayana, a Spanish painter and engraver who lived in the late 19th century. He was known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works were exhibited in several prestigious galleries in Spain and abroad.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Santayana.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Santayana was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 22.76% | 28 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 39.84% | 49 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | 33.33% | 41 |
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 Santayana has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 22.76% | 22.73% | 0.13% |
| Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 39.84% | 49.09% | -20.80% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 33.33% | 27.27% | 20.00% |
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 Santayana was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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