Santino
Santino was the 353rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 934 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 254 places. More babies were named Santino in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning little saint · Italian, Latin
Say it san-TEE-noh /sænˈtinoʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #353 boys, up 92 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 934boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025934 babies
- Total since 1880
- 13,624babies recorded
What does the name Santino mean?
Santino is an Italian diminutive of Santo, "saint", from Latin sanctus, "holy". Wiktionary records it as an Italian given name and surname. The Godfather's Santino "Sonny" Corleone is a well-known fictional bearer. In the US it is used mainly in Italian and Latino families. Santo and Santos are related names; Santiago, by contrast, comes from Sant Iago, Saint James.
santo (Italian, “saint, holy”)sanctus (Latin, “holy”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Santo, Santos, Sonny, Santiago.
See also: Italian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Santino', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'saint', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Nicknames for Santino
The usual nicknames for Santino are Santi and Tino. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Santino in the last five years, 17 were named Santi.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santi · also for Santiago | Modern | #1,121 | 677 |
| Tino · also for Valentino | Traditional | #6,413 | 84 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Santinos go by each one.
Santino popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #353 | 934 |
| 2020 | #445 | 671 |
| 2010 | #657 | 368 |
| 2000 | #1,032 | 142 |
| 1990 | #1,234 | 80 |
| 1980 | #1,490 | 42 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Santino, counting every spelling?
Santino has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #359 for boys in 2025, against #353 on the official list, because Kason/Kasen/Casen and Mohamed/Mohammad/Mohammed and Rhys/Reece/Rhyse move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Santino?
934 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Santino (0.26 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Santino born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Santino.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Santino?
About 13,300 people born in the US named Santino are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 5 and 19. That makes Santino a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Santino by state
How common Santino was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (3.7×), New York (2.4×), Illinois (2.4×), New Mexico (2.3×), Connecticut (2.2×). In 18 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Santino: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Santino, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Santino · Sibling names for Santino
Questions about the name Santino
What does Santino mean?
Santino means “little saint” (Italian, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Santino?
Santino was the 353rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 934 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 254 places. More babies were named Santino in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Santino a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Santino in the US.
Where is Santino most popular?
In 2021–2025, Santino was most common in New Jersey (1.72 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Illinois.