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

Santoscruz, 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 Santoscruz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Santoscruz in America

Santoscruz is the 98553rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Santoscruz surname appeared 184 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 Santoscruz.

The history of the last name Santoscruz

The surname Santoscruz is of Spanish origin, derived from the phrase "santos cruz," which means "holy cross" in English. It is believed to have originated in the late 15th or early 16th century during the Spanish Inquisition, a period of religious persecution and expulsion of Jews and Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula.

Some historians suggest that the name Santoscruz may have been adopted by conversos, or Jews who converted to Christianity to avoid persecution. The incorporation of religious terms like "santos" (holy) and "cruz" (cross) into their surnames was a way for these conversos to publicly demonstrate their adherence to the Catholic faith.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Santoscruz can be found in various municipal records and census documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in regions such as Andalusia, Extremadura, and Castile-La Mancha in Spain. Variations in spelling, such as Santacruz or Santa Cruz, were also common during this period.

One notable bearer of the Santoscruz surname was Francisco de Santoscruz (1523-1601), a Spanish Dominican friar and theologian who served as the confessor to King Philip II of Spain. Another prominent figure was Diego de Santoscruz (1570-1641), a Spanish mathematician and cosmographer who made significant contributions to the fields of navigation and cartography.

In the 18th century, Juan de Santoscruz (1712-1778) was a Spanish military engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of several fortifications and defensive structures across the Spanish empire. During the same period, José de Santoscruz (1734-1804) was a renowned Spanish painter known for his religious and mythological works.

In the 19th century, Manuel Santoscruz (1825-1892) was a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the governor of the state of Zacatecas from 1869 to 1871. He was a prominent figure in the Liberal Reform movement in Mexico.

While the surname Santoscruz is most commonly associated with Spain and its former colonies in Latin America, it has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the turbulent religious and cultural history of the Iberian Peninsula during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Santoscruz

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

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 Santoscruz 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.

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

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

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