The name San is of Spanish and Italian origin, meaning "saint" or "holy." It is derived from the Latin word "sanctus," which also means holy or sacred.
In Spain, San is often used as a given name for boys, particularly on feast days honoring various saints throughout the year. Some examples include San Juan (St. John), San Miguel (St. Michael), and San Francisco (St. Francis).
Similarly, in Italy, San is sometimes incorporated into female names such as Santa Maria (Holy Mary) or Santina.
The use of San as a prefix to given names is not exclusive to Spain and Italy; it can also be found in other countries with Roman Catholic populations, including the Philippines and Latin America.
Historically, the name San has been associated with religious figures and cultural traditions across these regions. However, its popularity as a given name appears to have waned over time. According to data from the Social Security Administration in the United States, for instance, there were no newborn boys named San in 2019.
In recent years, though, there has been some renewed interest in the name San among parents looking for unique and meaningful names for their children. Despite its religious origins, San can be given without reference to religious beliefs or practices, as a standalone name with its own distinct identity.
Here are some interesting statistics about the name San:
The name San has been given to babies born in the United States for over a century, with the earliest recorded birth year being 1917.
For many years, the number of births was quite low and stable, ranging from 5 to 9 per year between 1917 and 1969. However, there was a significant increase in the popularity of the name San starting in the late 1960s.
In 1967, there were 15 births, which was the highest number recorded until that point. This trend continued into the 1970s and 1980s, with peaks of 23 births in 1984 and 20 births in 1982.
However, since the mid-1980s, the popularity of the name San has declined. There were still a significant number of births each year until the early 2000s, but the numbers have been consistently lower since then. The most recent data available shows that there were 5 births in 2021.
In total, over the course of more than a century, the name San has been given to 615 babies born in the United States.