Dos Santos

Dos Santos

Santos, Portuguese and Spanish surnames with several variations. The English translation of Santos is Saints. A singular version, Santo, may occur. Origin: Christian, from Latin sanctus. The dos Santos (English: 'of the saints') variation in Portugal and Galicia was commonly given to a baby born or baptised around All Saints’ Day. Near the close of the nineteenth century and at the end of the Brazilian Empire, the abolition of slavery in Brazil led to the rise in the name's usage within slave communities, Santos becoming a common surname in area of the Bay of All Saints. A Portuguese slave with no surname, for example, might take the name Santos upon the abolition of slavery and subsequently earning his freedom; this would indicate that he was of Bahian origin. The surname was also used as a way to shorten the names of Brazilians, for example: Manuel da Bahia de Todos os Santos (en: Manuel of the Bay of All Saints). Other Iberian grammatical forms include: De Santo, De Santos, Del Santo, Santi, Santis, Santiz, Senti, Sentis and others.

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