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

Santos, 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 Santos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Santos in America

Santos is the 206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Santos surname appeared 137,232 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 47 people would have the surname Santos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Santos 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 Santos

The surname SANTOS is of Portuguese and Spanish origin, deriving from the word "santo" which means "saint" in both languages. Its origins can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, around the 13th to 15th centuries.

In Portugal, the name likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near a church or shrine dedicated to a particular saint, or possibly for someone who was known for their pious or saintly behavior. Similarly, in Spain, the name may have been given to individuals who lived near a church or monastery dedicated to a saint, or who were particularly devout Christians.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname SANTOS can be found in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, where a man named Juan SANTOS was documented in 1492. Another notable early bearer of the name was the Portuguese explorer and navigator João SANTOS, who lived in the late 15th century and is believed to have accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India in 1498.

In the 16th century, the SANTOS surname appears in historical records from various parts of the Iberian Peninsula, including a reference to a landowner named Pedro SANTOS in the town of Évora, Portugal, in 1521. During this time, the name was also found in Spanish colonies in the Americas, such as Mexico and Peru, where it was likely introduced by Spanish settlers and colonists.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname SANTOS was the 17th-century Spanish painter and architect Juan SANTOS, who was born in 1617 and died in 1677. His works can be found in several churches and monasteries throughout Spain.

Another notable figure with this surname was the 19th-century Brazilian writer and abolitionist Joaquim Norberto de Souza SANTOS, who was born in 1820 and played a significant role in the movement to abolish slavery in Brazil.

In the 20th century, the SANTOS surname gained further prominence with individuals such as the Brazilian football player Pelé, whose full name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento SANTOS, born in 1940. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Santos

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

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

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

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