Sava
A masculine name derived from the Slavic word meaning "defender" or "protector".
Name Census estimates that about 212 living Americans carry the first name Sava. It is a predominantly male name (95.3% of registrations). The average person named Sava today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sava births was 2013 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sava. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
212
~ 1 in 1,616,766 Americans
Peak year
2013
18 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,740
Tracked since 2000
Gender
Gender distribution for Sava
Sava leans heavily male at 95.3% of total registrations, but 10 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Sava as a male name
- Ranked #6,740 in 2024
- 13 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (15 births)
Sava as a female name
- Ranked #17,219 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2013 (5 births)
Popularity
Sava: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sava from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 92 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Sava remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sava by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sava during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sava
The name Sava is of Slavic origin, derived from the ancient Slavic word "sava" which means "dark-haired". The name has its roots in the cultures of Eastern and Southern Europe, particularly in the Balkan region, where it has been in use for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sava can be found in the hagiography of Saint Sava, the first Archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Saint Sava, whose birth name was Rastko Nemanjić, played a crucial role in establishing the Serbian Orthodox Church and promoting the use of the Serbian language in liturgy.
In the late 14th century, the name Sava appeared in the writings of the famous Serbian poet and diplomat, Konstantin Kostenpki, who served as a diplomat at the court of the Byzantine Emperor. Kostenpki's works provide valuable insights into the cultural and literary traditions of the medieval Balkans.
Another notable historical figure bearing the name Sava was Sava III Nemanjić, who ruled as the Serbian Grand Prince from 1276 to 1309. Sava III was instrumental in strengthening the Serbian state and defending it against foreign invasions during his reign.
In the 16th century, the name Sava gained prominence in Russia, where it was adopted by the Orthodox Church. One of the most famous Russians with this name was Saint Sava of Storozhevsky, a renowned Orthodox monk and ascetic who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Jumping ahead to the 19th century, Sava Tekelija was a prominent Serbian writer, philosopher, and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the cultural and educational development of his homeland. Tekelija was born in 1761 and played a pivotal role in the Serbian National Revival movement.
Throughout history, the name Sava has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including religious leaders, rulers, writers, and scholars. While its origins can be traced back to the Slavic cultures of Eastern and Southern Europe, the name has transcended geographical boundaries and continues to be used in various parts of the world today.
People
Sava + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sava as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sava: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sava?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 212 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sava going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,616,766 US residents.
Is Sava a common name?
We classify Sava as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 214 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sava most popular?
The single biggest year for Sava was 2013, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sava is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sava a male name?
Yes, 95.3% of people registered as Sava in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.