Santoro
An Italian surname meaning “of the holy one” or linked to All Saints’ Day.
The #4,076 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 35,435 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Santoro is an Italian surname formed from santo, meaning “saint” or “holy,” ultimately from Latin sanctus. In many cases it likely began as a name connected with All Saints’ Day, the feast of the saints, or as a religious nickname for someone born on that day. It can also be understood as a devotional surname with the sense “belonging to the saints” or “holy person.”
History
The surname is found בעיקר in southern Italy, especially in regions where devotional and feast-day surnames are common. Italian emigrants carried it to the Americas and other parts of the world in the late 19th and 20th centuries. In modern usage it is a well-established Italian family name rather than a rare or newly coined form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it is tied to santo, Santoro belongs to a large family of Italian surnames inspired by saints, holy days, and church festivals.