Santos
Santos was the 766th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 337 babies. Its best year was 1944, when it ranked 539th; the most babies were born in 2025 (337). Over the last ten years it has moved up 148 places. More babies were named Santos in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning saints · Spanish, Portuguese, Latin
Say it SAN-tohs /ˈsæntoʊs/
- Rank in 2025
- #766 boys, up 152 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 337boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025337 babies
- Total since 1880
- 21,573babies recorded
What does the name Santos mean?
Santos is the Spanish and Portuguese plural of santo 'saint', from Latin sanctus 'holy'. As a given name it refers to all the saints, Todos los Santos (All Saints), and was traditionally given to children born around All Saints' Day, November 1. It is also a very common surname in Spain, Portugal, Brazil and the Philippines.
santo (Spanish / Portuguese, “saint, holy”)sanctus (Latin, “holy”)
How sure is this? Well established. The All Saints' Day naming custom is traditional and widely reported but not documented in a dictionary we checked.
Pronunciation: Spanish: SAHN-tohs.
Related names: Santo, Santino, Santiago.
See also: Spanish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Santos', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'santo' (Spanish section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Santos popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | #766 | — | 337 |
| 2020 | — | #918 | — | 244 |
| 2010 | — | #874 | — | 240 |
| 2000 | #12,882 | #749 | 7 | 227 |
| 1990 | #11,126 | #747 | 7 | 186 |
| 1980 | #7,266 | #577 | 9 | 221 |
| 1970 | #3,291 | #617 | 20 | 174 |
| 1960 | #2,802 | #656 | 20 | 142 |
| 1950 | #1,759 | #619 | 30 | 124 |
| 1940 | #1,007 | #680 | 51 | 80 |
| 1930 | #1,051 | #626 | 50 | 97 |
| 1920 | #958 | #685 | 59 | 88 |
| 1910 | #1,327 | #618 | 13 | 23 |
| 1900 | #1,216 | #959 | 11 | 9 |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | #1,039 | — | 5 |
How popular is Santos, counting every spelling?
Santos has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #745 for boys in 2025, against #766 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Santos?
337 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Santos (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Santos 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 25 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Santos.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Santos?
About 14,700 people born in the US named Santos are alive today, with a median age of 30; half are between 15 and 51. That makes Santos mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Santos by state
How common Santos was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (7.7×), Arizona (2.8×), Nevada (2.4×), California (2.2×), Texas (2.1×). In 27 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 Santos: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Santos, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Santos · Sibling names for Santos
Questions about the name Santos
What does Santos mean?
Santos means “saints” (Spanish, Portuguese, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Santos?
Santos was the 766th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 337 babies. Its best year was 1944, when it ranked 539th; the most babies were born in 2025 (337). Over the last ten years it has moved up 148 places. More babies were named Santos in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Santos a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Santos in the US.
Where is Santos most popular?
In 2021–2025, Santos was most common in New Mexico (1.33 per 1,000 boys), followed by Arizona and Nevada.