What does De Santos mean in English?

The surname De Santos, along with variant spellings like Dos Santos and De Los Santos, is a common Spanish and Portuguese surname that ultimately derives from the word for "saints." Here‘s a look at the meaning, origins, history and more behind this name.

Overview and Meaning

• De Santos is a Spanish and Portuguese patronymic surname meaning "of the saints" or "from the saints."

• It comes from the Spanish phrase "de los santos" which literally translates to "of the saints" in English.

• The surname refers to someone originally from a place called Los Santos, meaning "the saints", or someone born or baptized on the Catholic holiday All Saints‘ Day.

• Dos Santos and De Los Santos are variant spellings of the name in Portuguese and Spanish, but they share the same origin and meaning related to the word "saints."

• On its own, Santos is a common surname in Spanish, Portuguese and other languages that comes from the word for "saints."

Origins and History

• The surname has Christian origins and is prevalent in Catholic countries, being especially common in Spain, Portugal and former Spanish and Portuguese colonies.

• It emerged as a surname associated with Christian feast days and saints, as well as towns called Los Santos or "the saints."

• The name is patronymic, meaning it derives from an ancestor‘s first name. For example, Juan De Los Santos would mean "Juan of the saints."

• People with the name can trace their lineage back to places known as Los Santos, such as Los Santos de Maimona in Spain.

• Immigration records show people with surnames like De Los Santos or Dos Santos coming to the US from countries like Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and more.

Popularity and Notable People

• De Santos is the 3,010th most common surname in the world, according to Forebears, held by around 1 in 38,955 people globally.

• Famous people with the name or its variants include:

  • Brazilian footballer Edson Arantes do Nascimento "Pelé"

  • Former president of Angola José Eduardo dos Santos

  • Filipino actor John Arcilla born John Delos Santos Arcilla

• In the US, significant populations with the surname live in states like California, Texas, Florida, and New York.

• Santos on its own is a more widespread surname, ranked #206th most common in America according to NameCensus.

So in summary, De Santos and its spelling variants originate from the Spanish and Portuguese word for "saints", referring to ancestry from a place of that name or birth on All Saints‘ Day. It‘s a common surname tied to Christian heritage in certain parts of the world.