2000
#5,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,032
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.24
Rare Last name
Santoyo
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name of unknown meaning, possibly related to "santo" (saint).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,714 Americans carry the last name Santoyo. That puts it at #4,070 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,285 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Santoyo 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
9.7K
1 in 35,285
Census rank
#4,070
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,471 bearers of the surname Santoyo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4070th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Santoyo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Santoyo
The surname Santoyo originates from Spain, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish toponym "Santo Yo," which translates to "Holy Yew Tree." This suggests that the name may have originated from a particular location or region where a significant yew tree, possibly with sacred or religious significance, existed.
During the medieval period, many Spanish surnames were derived from topographic features, landmarks, or specific locations associated with an individual's place of origin or residence. The name Santoyo likely followed this naming convention, indicating a connection to a place where a revered yew tree stood.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Santoyo can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a 14th-century manuscript that documented the rights and privileges of various villages and townships in medieval Castile. This historical document includes references to individuals bearing the surname Santoyo, suggesting its presence in the region during that time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan de Santoyo served as a royal scribe and secretary to King Juan II of Castile. Born around 1390, Juan de Santoyo played a significant role in the royal court, documenting important events and correspondence during his tenure.
Another prominent individual with the Santoyo surname was Diego de Santoyo, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Diego de Santoyo was born in Seville around 1495 and played a crucial role in several expeditions and battles during the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
In the 17th century, Pedro de Santoyo y Molina, a Spanish theologian and writer, gained recognition for his work titled "Árbol de la Vida" (Tree of Life), published in 1671. Pedro de Santoyo y Molina was born in Madrid in 1632 and contributed significantly to the religious and philosophical discourse of his time.
Another notable figure was José María Santoyo, a Spanish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of State during the reign of King Ferdinand VII in the early 19th century. Born in Seville in 1778, José María Santoyo played a crucial role in the political landscape of Spain during a turbulent period of its history.
Throughout the centuries, the Santoyo surname has been associated with various historical figures, reflecting its Spanish origins and the diverse roles and contributions of individuals bearing this name across different fields and eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Santoyo
Among Census respondents with the surname Santoyo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Santoyo 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 Santoyo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.3% · 7,984
- White4.3% · 367
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 77
- Black or African American0.2% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 15
- Two or more races0.2% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Santoyo
Santoyo 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
#4,086
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,692
+2,660 bearers (+44.1%)
Per 100,000 2.95
Rank movement Up 1,233 places
2020
#4,070
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,471
-221 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 2.83
Rank movement Up 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,319 | 6,032 | 2.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,086 | 8,692 | 2.95 | +2,660 bearers (+44.1%) | Up 1,233 places |
| 2020 | #4,070 | 8,471 | 2.83 | -221 bearers (-2.5%) | 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 Santoyo 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 | #4,086 | #4,070 | 0.4% |
| Count | 8,692 | 8,471 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.95 | 2.83 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Santoyo bearers went from 8,692 to 8,471 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,086 to #4,070.
FAQ
Santoyo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Santoyo?
Name Census estimates that about 9,714 living Americans carry the surname Santoyo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,285 residents.
How common is Santoyo?
Santoyo ranks #4,070 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,471 people with the surname Santoyo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,714), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Santoyo.
Has Santoyo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Santoyo went from 8,692 recorded bearers to 8,471. That is a decrease of 221 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,086 to #4,070.
What does the Census say about the background of Santoyo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Santoyo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Santoyo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (7,984 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Santoyo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.3%), White (4.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Santoyo (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 Santoyo mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name of unknown meaning, possibly related to "santo" (saint). 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 Santoyo (2.83 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 common is the surname Santoyo?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Santoyo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.