Given name & surname
Santo
“a holy man”
Santo is used as a given name and a surname. One Italian interpretation is “a holy man.”
Original ItalianSantin
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Italian interpretation is “a holy man.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Italian.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1907. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Santo through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,876
- 4,876 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1925
- 116 babies
- 2025
- 31
- #3,643 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +79%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 31 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,643 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 79.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 116 in 1925. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,448 as a first name in 2020; 4,022 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Santo’s family of names
In Italian usage, Santo has a feminine form in Santa. Santo has a related form in Santos. Santo has a related form in Santino.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Santo has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Italian roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Santinovariant
- Santosvariant
- Santivariant
- Santyvariant
- Santevariant
- Santeevariant
- Santvariant · English
- Santeyvariant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Santo
- Santo CondorelliCanadian then Italian swimmerborn 1995
- Santo Trafficante Jr.American crime boss1914–1987
- Santo GangemiItalian nuncioborn 1961
- Santo Anzàroad bicycle racerborn 1980
- Sante PerandaItalian painter (1566-1638)
- Santo VarniItalian sculptor (1807-1885)
- Santo VersaceItalian fashion businessmanborn 1944
- Santo MarcianòItalian Roman-Catholic archbishopborn 1960
- Santo Loku Pio DoggaleSouth Sudanese Roman Catholic priest and Auxiliary Bishopborn 1969
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Santo, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Margarito
“resembling a pearl”
>99% boys
Cipriano
“a man from Cyprus”
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Lonzo
“one who is ready for battle”
>99% boys
Laurent
“a graceful woman”
90% boys · 10% girls
Armand
“of the army; a soldier”
>99% boys
Gaston
“a man from Gascony”
>99% boys
Clovis
“a renowned warrior”
>99% boys
Napoleon
“a man from Naples” · “son of the mists”
>99% boys