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

Santo, 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 Santo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Santo in America

Santo is the 7224th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Santo surname appeared 4,620 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Santo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Santo 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 Santo

The surname "Santo" originates from Italy and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "santo," meaning "saint," and was likely initially bestowed as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone who lived near a church dedicated to a particular saint or who worked in a religious occupation.

During the Renaissance period, the name "Santo" appeared in various historical records and manuscripts across Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany, Lazio, and Campania. One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Florentine tax records of 1427, where a certain Piero di Santo is mentioned.

In the late 15th century, a notable figure named Antonio Santo (1446-1518) gained recognition as a renowned humanist scholar and philosopher from the city of Padua. His works on classical literature and moral philosophy were widely influential during the Italian Renaissance.

In the 16th century, the name "Santo" was also associated with a prominent family from Naples, the Santos. This family produced several notable figures, including the poet and playwright Giambattista Santo (1530-1592), whose plays were performed throughout Italy during the late Renaissance.

Another historical figure bearing the surname "Santo" was the Venetian painter Jacopo Santo (1554-1628), known for his religious works and portraits commissioned by the Venetian nobility.

During the 17th century, the name "Santo" appeared in various places across Italy, including the town of Santo Stefano di Magra in Liguria, which derived its name from the nearby church dedicated to Saint Stephen.

In the 18th century, the composer and violinist Giovanni Battista Santo (1716-1789) from Padua made significant contributions to the development of the Venetian opera tradition, composing numerous operas and instrumental works.

Throughout history, the surname "Santo" has also been associated with various noble families and landowners, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Lazio, where they held significant estates and properties.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Santo

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

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

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

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