Santa
Santa is a given name. As a Latvian feminine given name, the name day of people named Santa is September 14.
Meaning & Origin of Santa
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Santa is a given name. As a Latvian feminine given name, the name day of people named Santa is September 14.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Santa
Santa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1896, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1923, when 89 Santas were born — ranking #774 that year. As of 2026, Santa ranks #5,334 for baby girls with 24 births, rising sharply (+121% over the past five years). In total, more than 4K Santas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Santa
Phonetically similar names — useful when Santa is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Santa
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About the name Santa
Santa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1896 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Santa's peak popularity came in 1923 when it ranked #723. Use the chart and map above to compare Santa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1923 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.