2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Santus
A surname derived from the Latin "sanctus" meaning holy or blessed.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Santus. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Santus 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Santus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Santus, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Black (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Santus
The surname Santus has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "sanctus," meaning holy or saintly. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who had a religious affiliation or lived in close proximity to a church or monastery.
In the early centuries, surnames were not widely used, and people were often identified by their occupations, physical characteristics, or the places they lived. As the use of surnames became more prevalent, particularly among the nobility and upper classes, the name Santus likely emerged as a distinguishing identifier for families or individuals connected to the Church or religious institutions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Santus can be found in the archives of the city of Genoa, Italy, where a document from the 13th century mentions a certain "Giovanni Santus." This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period in the northern regions of Italy.
During the Renaissance era, several notable individuals bore the surname Santus. One such figure was Matteo Santus, a renowned painter from Verona who lived in the late 15th century. His works, primarily religious in nature, adorned various churches and cathedrals across northern Italy.
Another notable figure was Girolamo Santus, a scholar and theologian who lived in the 16th century. Born in Venice in 1520, he wrote extensively on theological matters and was revered for his knowledge of Church doctrine.
In the 17th century, the name Santus was also found in the records of the city of Naples, where a family by the name of Santus owned a vineyard and produced wine. One member of this family, Antonio Santus, is mentioned in a document from 1638 regarding a land dispute.
Moving into the 18th century, Lorenzo Santus, born in 1712 in Milan, gained recognition as a skilled architect. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of San Fedele in Milan, which still stands today as a testament to his architectural prowess.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Santus continued to be found across various regions of Italy, with families bearing this name contributing to various fields, including the arts, literature, and academia. While the exact origins and early history of the name may be shrouded in the mists of time, the surname Santus has left an indelible mark on Italian culture and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Santus
Among Census respondents with the surname Santus, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Black (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Santus 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 Santus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.2% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino11.1% · 13
- Black or African American5.1% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Santus
Santus 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-36 bearers (-25.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 40,055 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+12 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,637 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -36 bearers (-25.5%) | Down 40,055 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 10,637 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 Santus 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 | #154,907 | #144,270 | 6.9% |
| Count | 105 | 117 | 11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Santus bearers went from 105 to 117 (+11.4% change). The surname moved up 10,637 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #144,270.
FAQ
Santus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Santus?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Santus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Santus?
Santus ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Santus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Santus.
Has Santus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Santus went from 105 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 12 (+11.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Santus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Santus, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Black (5.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Santus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Santus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.2%), Hispanic (11.1%), Black (5.1%). 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 Santus (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 Santus mean?
A surname derived from the Latin "sanctus" meaning holy or blessed. 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 Santus (0.04 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 Santus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.