How to say it
san · TI · no
sɑːnˈtiː.noʊ
Masculine
Santino
Little saint
What it means
Italian, a diminutive of Santo, 'saint,' from the Latin sanctus, 'holy.'
Santino is the Italian little-one form of Santo, 'saint,' from Latin sanctus, 'holy.' It is warm and unmistakably Italian, and it surged on the back of the Italian-name wave. Its most famous bearer is fictional: Santino 'Sonny' Corleone, the hot-headed eldest son in The Godfather, which is also where the nickname Sonny comes from. Tino is the other short.
How to spell Santino
The standard spelling is Santino. Common variants include Santo, Santiago, Sandro, but Santino is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #353 in 2025, currently #353 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Sonny and Tino both come from it.
- Pop culture
Santino 'Sonny' Corleone of The Godfather is the defining bearer.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Santino Corleone the eldest Corleone son, 'Sonny,' in The Godfather
Spelling variants
- Santo
- Santiago
- Sandro
Names with the same feeling
See Santino from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Santino mean?
- Italian, a diminutive of Santo, 'saint,' from the Latin sanctus, 'holy.'
- What does Santino mean in Italian?
- In Italian, Santino means "Little saint." Santino is the Italian little-one form of Santo, 'saint,' from Latin sanctus, 'holy.' It is warm and unmistakably Italian, and it surged on the back of the Italian-name wave. Its most famous bearer is fictional: Santino 'Sonny' Corleone, the hot-headed eldest son in The Godfather, which is also where the nickname Sonny comes from. Tino is the other short.
- Is Santino short for Santo?
- Yes. Santino is a short form of Santo, and it carries the same meaning, "Little saint." These days many parents use Santino as a given name in its own right, not only as a nickname.
- How do you pronounce Santino?
- Santino is pronounced sɑːnˈtiː.noʊ. Say it as san-TI-no, with the stress on the "ti" syllable.
- How do you spell Santino?
- The standard spelling is Santino. Common spelling variants include Santo, Santiago, Sandro.
- Is Santino a boy or girl name?
- Santino is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Santino?
- Santino ranked #353 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.