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Santa Cruz Family History

Santa Cruz Surname Meaning

Spanish (also Santacruz): habitational name from any of numerous places called with Santa Cruz ‘the Holy Cross’.

It derives from the dedication of a local church or shrine.

The name is composed of santa ‘holy’ + cruz ‘cross’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Santa Cruz family from?

You can see how Santa Cruz families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Santa Cruz family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. The most Santa Cruz families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 17 Santa Cruz families living in California. This was about 35% of all the recorded Santa Cruz's in USA. California had the highest population of Santa Cruz families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Santa Cruz surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Santa Cruz ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Santa Cruz. 50% of Santa Cruz men worked as a Laborer and 50% of Santa Cruz women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Santa Cruz were Miner and Housework.

View Census Data for Santa Cruz | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    50%
  • Plasterer
    14%
  • Fisherman
    10%
  • Miner
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    50%
  • Housework
    50%

What Santa Cruz family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Santa Cruz. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Santa Cruz census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Santa Cruz

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Santa Cruz. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Santa Cruz immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Santa Cruz. For the veterans among your Santa Cruz ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Santa Cruz military records

You've only scratched the surface of Santa Cruz family history

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What is the average Santa Cruz lifespan?

Between 1967 and 2004, in the United States, Santa Cruz life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1981, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Santa Cruz in 1967 was 63, and 65 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Santa Cruz

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Santa Cruz ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Santa Cruz family tree

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