Santos
A Spanish and Portuguese surname meaning “the saints,” often from devotion to All Saints or from a place-name tied to a church or saintly dedication.
The #206 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,250 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Santos is the plural of Spanish and Portuguese santo, from Latin sanctus, meaning “holy” or “saint.” As a surname, it literally means “the saints” and was commonly formed from religious naming habits in Iberia. In many cases it points to a place associated with a church dedication or to a devotional name connected with All Saints.
History
The surname is especially common in Spain, Portugal, and across Latin America, reflecting both religious devotion and the spread of Iberian naming patterns. Historical writers noted that names of saints could become family names through local parish or place associations. In some cases, surnames of this type were also given to foundlings or children registered under church-related naming conventions.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
All Saints’ Day is one of the classic feast-day sources often cited for this surname type.
From the historical record
“Santiagos. Plural del anterior. Santos. Libres de todas culpas i perfectos por excelen- cia. Personas declaradas tal por la iglesia, i a la que está mandado que se dé culto universal. Personas virtuosas, de especial vida i ejemplo. Justos i conformes a la lei ¡ bue- nas costumbres. Cualquiera cosa que está…”
— Diccionario de los apellidosNotable people named Santos
- Neymar (b. 1992)
- Juan Manuel Santos (b. 1951)
- Alberto Santos-Dumont (1873–1932)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.