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

Santoro, 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 Santoro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Santoro in America

Santoro is the 4076th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Santoro surname appeared 8,713 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Santoro.

We can also compare 2010 data for Santoro 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 Santoro

The surname Santoro originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "santo," meaning "saint," and likely referred to someone who lived near a church dedicated to a particular saint or who had a devotion to a specific saint.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Santoro can be found in historical documents from the 12th and 13th centuries in various regions of Italy, including Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. The name was particularly prevalent in the town of Santoro, located in the province of Avellino in the Campania region, suggesting a possible connection between the surname and this place name.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Santoro was Guglielmo Santoro, a nobleman from Naples who lived in the 13th century. He was mentioned in several historical records related to land disputes and legal proceedings.

Another notable figure was Giacomo Santoro, a Sicilian poet and writer who lived in the 15th century. He is known for his works celebrating the beauty of Sicily and its rich cultural heritage.

During the Renaissance period, the Santoro family played a significant role in the arts and culture of Italy. One of the most renowned members was Antonio Santoro, a sculptor and architect from Naples who lived from 1531 to 1597. He is best known for his contributions to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in Naples and its surrounding areas.

In the 17th century, Girolamo Santoro, born in 1589 in Caserta, gained recognition as a prominent jurist and legal scholar. His writings on criminal law and legal procedures were widely studied and influential during that time.

Another individual of note was Domenico Santoro, a painter from Palermo who lived from 1683 to 1754. He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes adorning various churches in Sicily.

Over the centuries, the Santoro surname has spread throughout Italy and to other parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, including art, literature, law, and more.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Santoro

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

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

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

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