Meaning of the nameSanta
- Female
- Latin origin
- San-ta
Santa is a feminine name that coincides with the Portuguese word santa, from Latin sanctus, used for a canonized woman.
- People (2022)
- 17,650
- Rank in Brazil
- #1,152
- Median age
- 67 years
- 2010 Census
- 22,832
- people
Santa in the 2022 Census
People with the first name Santa, by the decade they were born. In the chart, 70 = the 1970s and 20+ = 2020 to 2022. The largest group was born in the 1950s (5,363 people).
17,554 women 96 men
Source: IBGE, 2022 Demographic Census, Nomes no Brasil. The census counts the first name of people alive in 2022; small counts are not published, and the first group covers everyone born before 1940. How to read these data.
Where the name Santa is most common
States with the highest share of people named Santa in the population, in the 2022 Census.
- Rio Grande do Sul 0.056%
- Minas Gerais 0.017%
- Espírito Santo 0.015%
- Mato Grosso do Sul 0.012%
- Rondônia 0.010%
All states
| State | People | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande do Sul | 6,067 | 0.056% |
| Minas Gerais | 3,473 | 0.017% |
| São Paulo | 3,353 | 0.008% |
| Paraná | 916 | 0.008% |
| Santa Catarina | 691 | 0.009% |
| Bahia | 638 | 0.005% |
| Espírito Santo | 555 | 0.015% |
| Mato Grosso do Sul | 339 | 0.012% |
| Rio de Janeiro | 243 | 0.002% |
| Mato Grosso | 223 | 0.006% |
| Goiás | 203 | 0.003% |
| Pará | 175 | 0.002% |
| Rondônia | 155 | 0.010% |
| Amazonas | 110 | 0.003% |
| Ceará | 104 | 0.001% |
| Maranhão | 91 | 0.001% |
| Distrito Federal | 66 | 0.002% |
| Roraima | 43 | 0.007% |
| Pernambuco | 41 | 0.001% |
| Tocantins | 41 | 0.003% |
| Acre | 37 | 0.005% |
| Piauí | 19 | 0.001% |
| Rio Grande do Norte | 19 | 0.001% |
| Sergipe | 18 | 0.001% |
States with fewer than 15 people with the name are not shown: IBGE does not publish those counts.
About the name Santa
Santa is also the Portuguese word for a canonized woman, the feminine of santo, which Priberam traces to Latin sanctus, 'made sacred or inviolable'. In the language, the word also serves as a title before the names of female saints, according to Wiktionary. Behind the Name records Santa as an Italian name, the feminine form of Santo. In the 2022 Census, IBGE recorded 17,650 people named Santa, with a median age of 67. It is a name of older generations, almost always female, and, proportionally, it is most common in Rio Grande do Sul.
Sources
- Priberam: santa · dicionario.priberam.org · meaning
- Wiktionary: Santa · en.wiktionary.org · usage
- Behind the Name: Santa · behindthename.com · origin
Questions about the name Santa
What does the name Santa mean?
Santa means “holy, sacred”, according to Priberam.
How many people are named Santa in Brazil?
IBGE's 2022 Census recorded 17,650 people with the first name Santa, which ranks it number 1,152 among the country's names. The largest group was born in the 1950s.
Is Santa a boy's or a girl's name?
Santa is a female name: in the 2022 Census, 17,554 women and 96 men had this name.
What is the origin of the name Santa?
Santa is a name of Latin origin. The sources are listed at the end of the page.
In which Brazilian state is Santa most common?
Proportionally, in Rio Grande do Sul: 0.056% of the state's population is named Santa (6,067 people), according to the 2022 Census.
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Spotted a mistake? Report a correction for Santa with a source. See the methodology.