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Santos Family History

Santos Surname Meaning

Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician are derived from a personal name typically bestowed on a child born on All Saints' Day (Spanish Todos los Santos, Portuguese and Galician Todos os santos ‘All Saints').

Compare the Spanish De los Santos with the Portuguese and Galician Dos Santos.

It also serves as a habitational name from any of the places called (Los) Santos, which refers to the dedication of a local church or shrine to all the saints.

This naming convention emphasizes the cultural significance of honoring saints in these regions.

For further comparison, look at the Spanish De Santos, highlighting variations in naming practices.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Santos family from?

You can see how Santos families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Santos family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Santos families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 22 Santos families living in Lancashire. This was about 76% of all the recorded Santos's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Santos families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Santos surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Santos ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Santos. 89% of Santos women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Santos | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Manageress
    12%

What Santos family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 137,000 census records available for the last name Santos. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Santos census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Santos

Passenger Lists

There are 98,000 immigration records available for the last name Santos. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Santos immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Santos. For the veterans among your Santos ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Santos military records

You've only scratched the surface of Santos family history

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What is the average Santos lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Santos life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Santos in 1942 was 31, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Santos

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Santos ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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