2000
#11,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,639
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Santora
Derived from the Italian word "santoro," referring to a sexton, sacristan, or custodian of a church.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,566 Americans carry the last name Santora. That puts it at #13,103 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,575 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Santora surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 133,575
Census rank
#13,103
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,238 bearers of the surname Santora in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13103rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Santora, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Santora
The surname Santora has its origins in Italy, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "santoro," which referred to a person who lived near or worked at a church dedicated to a saint. The name may also be related to the Latin word "sanctus," meaning holy or sacred.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Santora surname can be found in a manuscript from the city of Naples in the year 1267. This document mentions a man named Giovanni Santora, who was a merchant and landowner in the region.
In the 14th century, the Santora family established a presence in the town of Salerno, located on the Amalfi Coast. Historical records from this period show that members of the family held influential positions within the local government and were involved in various trades, such as winemaking and olive oil production.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the Santora surname was Antonio Santora, a renowned painter who lived from 1477 to 1537. His works can be found in several churches and galleries throughout Italy, including the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Another prominent individual with the Santora name was Giacomo Santora, a Neapolitan philosopher and scholar who lived from 1598 to 1669. He was known for his writings on metaphysics and ethics, and his works were widely studied in academic circles across Europe.
In the 18th century, the Santora family expanded their reach beyond Italy, with some members emigrating to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Juan Santora, a Spanish soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in New Orleans, where he established a successful trading business.
As the Santora name spread across different regions, various spellings emerged, such as Santori, Santore, and Santori. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and linguistic adaptations.
Throughout history, the Santora surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, scholars, merchants, and military personnel. While the name may have evolved over time, its connection to the Italian heritage and the concept of sanctity has remained a defining characteristic.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Santora
Among Census respondents with the surname Santora, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Santora bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Santora surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 2,062
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 99
- Two or more races1.9% · 42
- Black or African American1.0% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Santora
Santora appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,752
+113 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 394 places
2020
#13,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,238
-514 bearers (-18.7%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 1,660 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,049 | 2,639 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,443 | 2,752 | 0.93 | +113 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 394 places |
| 2020 | #13,103 | 2,238 | 0.75 | -514 bearers (-18.7%) | Down 1,660 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Santora surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,443 | #13,103 | -14.5% |
| Count | 2,752 | 2,238 | -18.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.75 | -19.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Santora bearers went from 2,752 to 2,238 (-18.7% change). The surname moved down 1,660 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,443 to #13,103.
FAQ
Santora surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Santora?
Name Census estimates that about 2,566 living Americans carry the surname Santora. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,575 residents.
How common is Santora?
Santora ranks #13,103 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,238 people with the surname Santora. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,566), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Santora.
Has Santora become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Santora went from 2,752 recorded bearers to 2,238. That is a decrease of 514 (-18.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,443 to #13,103.
What does the Census say about the background of Santora?
Among Census respondents with the surname Santora, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Santora in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (2,062 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Santora appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Santora (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Santora mean?
Derived from the Italian word "santoro," referring to a sexton, sacristan, or custodian of a church. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Santora (0.75 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Santora?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.