2000
#710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,875
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.26
Uncommon Last name
Santana
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "sancta," meaning "holy," or referring to a saint.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 74,054 Americans carry the last name Santana. That puts it at #510 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 21.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,628 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Santana surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Santana with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
74K
1 in 4,628
Census rank
#510
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
21.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
65K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 64,579 bearers of the surname Santana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 21.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 510th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Santana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Black (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Santana
The surname Santana has its origins in Spain and Portugal, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Spanish word "santa" meaning "saint" and the Latin word "ana" meaning "grace" or "favor". It is believed that the name was initially given to individuals who lived near a church or chapel dedicated to a particular saint.
The earliest recorded instances of the Santana surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various Spanish and Portuguese historical documents. One notable example is the Libro de las Behetrias, a medieval census record from the region of Castile, which mentions several individuals with the surname Santana.
In the late 15th century, the Santana name gained prominence when it was borne by Diego Santana, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands alongside Juan Rejón in the late 1400s. Diego Santana played a significant role in the colonization efforts and was later granted land and privileges by the Spanish Crown.
Another notable figure with the Santana surname was Pedro Santana (1801-1864), a Dominican military leader and politician who served as the President of the Dominican Republic on multiple occasions during the mid-19th century. He played a pivotal role in shaping the country's political landscape and fought against the Haitian occupation of the Dominican Republic.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Santana name spread across various regions of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas, as a result of the Spanish colonization efforts. One prominent individual from this period was Gaspar Santana (1530-1596), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Miguel López de Legazpi on the expedition that led to the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
In the 18th century, the Santana surname was also found in the Portuguese colonies, particularly in Brazil. One notable figure was José Santana de Camargo (1711-1789), a Brazilian military officer and explorer who played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of the interior regions of Brazil.
As the Santana name spread across different regions and cultures, various spelling variations emerged, such as Santanna, Santanna, and Santaña. Additionally, the name was sometimes combined with other surnames or place names, giving rise to variations like Santana de la Cruz or Santana y Martínez.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Santana
Among Census respondents with the surname Santana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Black (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Santana bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Santana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.5% · 58,435
- White6.8% · 4,382
- Black or African American1.5% · 977
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 382
- Two or more races0.5% · 294
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 109
Timeline
Historical Census data for Santana
Santana appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#556
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 60,667
+16,792 bearers (+38.3%)
Per 100,000 20.57
Rank movement Up 154 places
2020
#510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 64,579
+3,912 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 21.61
Rank movement Up 46 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #710 | 43,875 | 16.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #556 | 60,667 | 20.57 | +16,792 bearers (+38.3%) | Up 154 places |
| 2020 | #510 | 64,579 | 21.61 | +3,912 bearers (+6.4%) | Up 46 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Santana surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #556 | #510 | 8.3% |
| Count | 60,667 | 64,579 | 6.4% |
| Per 100K | 20.57 | 21.61 | 5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Santana bearers went from 60,667 to 64,579 (+6.4% change). The surname moved up 46 positions in the national ranking, going from #556 to #510.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Santana
FAQ
Santana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Santana?
Name Census estimates that about 74,054 living Americans carry the surname Santana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,628 residents.
How common is Santana?
Santana ranks #510 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 21.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 22 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 64,579 people with the surname Santana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (74,054), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 21.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 21.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 22 of them to have the surname Santana.
Has Santana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Santana went from 60,667 recorded bearers to 64,579. That is an increase of 3,912 (+6.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #556 to #510.
What does the Census say about the background of Santana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Santana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Black (1.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Santana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (58,435 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Santana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.5%), White (6.8%), Black (1.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Santana (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Santana mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "sancta," meaning "holy," or referring to a saint. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Santana (21.61 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Santana?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.