Explore the Family Name Dos Santos
The meaning of Dos Santos
Portuguese and Galician: from dos Santos, a common element of personal names, originally denoting a child born or baptized on All Saints’ Day (see Santos 1). Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Manuel, Carlos, Fernando, Pedro, Ana, Francisco, Luis, Sergio, Luiz, Mario, Rafael. Portuguese Joao, Paulo, Joaquim, Mateus, Aderito, Agostinho, Damiao, Henrique, Sebastiao.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dos Santos in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Dos Santos has seen a significant increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was the 8,323rd most common surname, but by 2010, it had jumped to the 5,656th spot, marking a rank change of 32.04%. The count of individuals with this surname also grew substantially during this period, moving from 3,659 to 6,137, an increase of 67.72%. The proportion of Dos Santos per 100,000 people also rose by 52.94%, going from 1.36 to 2.08.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,323 | #5,656 | 32.04% |
| Count | 3,659 | 6,137 | 67.72% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.36 | 2.08 | 52.94% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dos Santos
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that between 2000 and 2010, there have been some shifts in the ethnic identities associated with the surname Dos Santos. The number of Dos Santos identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black increased by 151.11% and 112.81% respectively. However, those who identified as having two or more races fell drastically by 88.94%. There was also a modest increase in the number of Whites, going up by 18.46%, while the count of Hispanics decreased by 15.77%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a slight increase of 56.00%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 60.18% | 71.29% | 18.46% |
| Black | 6.4% | 13.62% | 112.81% |
| Hispanic | 12.11% | 10.2% | -15.77% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.9% | 2.26% | 151.11% |
| Two or More Races | 20.17% | 2.23% | -88.94% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.25% | 0.39% | 56% |
Dos Santos ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Dos Santos is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 60.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (6.5%) and Indigenous American (5.3%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Angolan & Congolese, Italian, Nigerian, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 60.5% |
| British & Irish | 6.5% |
| Indigenous American | 5.3% |
| Other | 27.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Dos Santos
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Dos Santos have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and Brazil.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Azores, Portugal | 78.20% |
| Madeira, Portugal | 78.20% |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 75.80% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 74.90% |
| Porto District, Portugal | 72.00% |
What Dos Santos haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Dos Santos is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-DF27 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Barros, Nunes, Medeiros, Gonsalves, Figueiredo, Vieira, Soares, Tavares, Ribeiro, Alves.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dos Santos surname are: A2, H, L2a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Dos Santos have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Dos Santos" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Dos Santos" Surname 38.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dos Santos" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Dos Santos" Surname 10.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dos Santos?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Dos Santos are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition