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

Santelices, 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 Santelices surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Santelices in America

Santelices is the 80926th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Santelices surname appeared 234 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 Santelices.

We can also compare 2010 data for Santelices 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 Santelices

The surname Santelices has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish term "santa" meaning "holy" and "elices" referring to a type of elm tree. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place abundant with elm trees, possibly near a holy site or religious establishment.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century manuscript detailing hunting preserves and territories during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This text mentions an area called "Santelices" located in the region of Castilla y León.

During the 15th century, the surname appears in historical records of noble families in the province of Burgos, Spain. Notably, Rodrigo de Santelices was a nobleman and landowner who lived during this time.

In the 16th century, the name is associated with a prominent family from the town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain. Juan de Santelices (1530-1606) was a renowned poet and historian from this family.

As Spanish explorers and settlers ventured to the Americas, the surname Santelices spread to various regions, including Mexico and South America. One notable figure was Pedro de Santelices (1610-1678), a Spanish military officer who served as the governor of Havana, Cuba.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Santelices family settled in the Philippines, where they played a role in the Spanish colonial administration. Manuel de Santelices (1745-1820) was a Spanish military officer and governor of the Mariana Islands.

Throughout history, the surname Santelices has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, clergy, writers, and military leaders, reflecting its Spanish heritage and the dispersal of individuals bearing this name across different regions due to exploration and colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Santelices

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

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

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

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