Santos
Santos is a Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish surname with several variations. The English translation of Santos is Saints. A singular version, Santo, may occur. Origin: Christian, from Latin sanctus.
Meaning & Origin of Santos
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Santos is a Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish surname with several variations. The English translation of Santos is Saints. A singular version, Santo, may occur. Origin: Christian, from Latin sanctus.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Santos
As a girl name
Santos first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1885, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1924, when 100 Santoss were born — ranking #736 that year. As of 2026, Santos ranks #17,501 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 3K Santoss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Santos first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 319 Santoss were born — ranking #803 that year. As of 2026, Santos ranks #803 for boys with 319 births, rising sharply (+32% over the past five years). In total, more than 19K Santoss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Santos
Phonetically similar names — useful when Santos 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 Santos
What does the name Santos mean?
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When was Santos most popular?
In which U.S. states is Santos most popular?
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About the name Santos
Santos is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 19K births in the dataset. Santos's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #523. Use the chart and map above to compare Santos's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
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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.