2000
#279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98,993
First available Census row
Per 100,000 36.70
Common Last name
Santos
Derived from the Latin word "sanctus," meaning "holy" or "saint," referring to a person's virtuous character or saintly attributes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 165,158 Americans carry the last name Santos. That puts it at #190 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 48.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,075 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Santos 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Santos with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
165K
1 in 2,075
Census rank
#190
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
48.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
144K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 144,026 bearers of the surname Santos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 48.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 190th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Santos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 61.4%. The next largest groups are White (19.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (14.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Santos
Among Census respondents with the surname Santos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 61.4%. The next largest groups are White (19.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (14.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Santos 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 Santos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino61.4% · 88,365
- White19.4% · 27,972
- Asian and Pacific Islander14.1% · 20,333
- Black or African American2.6% · 3,761
- Two or more races2.2% · 3,200
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 395
Timeline
Historical Census data for Santos
Santos 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
#206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137,232
+38,239 bearers (+38.6%)
Per 100,000 46.52
Rank movement Up 73 places
2020
#190
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144,026
+6,794 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 48.19
Rank movement Up 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #279 | 98,993 | 36.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #206 | 137,232 | 46.52 | +38,239 bearers (+38.6%) | Up 73 places |
| 2020 | #190 | 144,026 | 48.19 | +6,794 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 16 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 Santos 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 | #206 | #190 | 7.8% |
| Count | 137,232 | 144,026 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 46.52 | 48.19 | 3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Santos bearers went from 137,232 to 144,026 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #206 to #190.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Santos
FAQ
Santos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Santos?
Name Census estimates that about 165,158 living Americans carry the surname Santos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,075 residents.
How common is Santos?
Santos ranks #190 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 48.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 48 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 144,026 people with the surname Santos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (165,158), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 48.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 48.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 48 of them to have the surname Santos.
Has Santos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Santos went from 137,232 recorded bearers to 144,026. That is an increase of 6,794 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #206 to #190.
What does the Census say about the background of Santos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Santos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 61.4%. The next largest groups are White (19.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (14.1%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Santos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.4% (88,365 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Santos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (61.4%), White (19.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (14.1%). 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 Santos (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 Santos mean?
Derived from the Latin word "sanctus," meaning "holy" or "saint," referring to a person's virtuous character or saintly attributes. 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 Santos (48.19 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 people have the surname Santos?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.