Savalas
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "tanned" or "dark-complexioned".
Name Census estimates that about 95 living Americans carry the first name Savalas. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Savalas today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Savalas births was 1974 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Savalas. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Savalas. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
95
~ 1 in 3,607,940 Americans
Peak year
1974
30 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
2002 SSA rank
#7,525
Tracked since 1974
Census
Savalas in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 109 people with the first name Savalas, which placed it at #52,143 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#52,143
National first-name rank
People counted
109
109 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
91.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Savalas
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Savalas is Black at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Savalas described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Savalas at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.7% · 100
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- White1.8% · 2
Popularity
Savalas: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Savalas from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 88 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Savalas 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 Savalas during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Savalas' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Savalas
The given name Savalas is believed to have its origins in the Greek language, tracing back to the ancient Greeks and their rich cultural heritage. The name is thought to be derived from the Greek word "salos," which means "waves" or "undulation," possibly referring to the ebbing and flowing of the sea or ocean.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Savalas can be found in ancient Greek literature, where it was occasionally used as a descriptor for individuals residing near coastal regions or those with a connection to the sea. However, its widespread use as a personal name is not well documented until much later in history.
The first known historical figure to bear the name Savalas was a Greek merchant and explorer from the island of Crete, who lived in the 5th century BCE. Though records of his life are scarce, he is believed to have embarked on several voyages across the Mediterranean, trading goods and establishing trade routes.
In the 12th century, a Byzantine scholar and theologian named Savalas Philokalēs made significant contributions to the study of classical Greek literature and philosophy. He is particularly renowned for his commentaries on the works of Aristotle and his influence on the intellectual discourse of the era.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure named Savalas Dimitriou emerged as a skilled sculptor and architect in the city of Venice, Italy. His intricate marble sculptures and architectural designs adorned many churches and public buildings, showcasing his artistic prowess and the enduring influence of Greek culture.
In the late 18th century, a Greek military leader named Savalas Panagiotopoulos played a pivotal role in the struggle for Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire. His strategic leadership and bravery in battle earned him a place in the annals of Greek history as a patriotic hero.
Another notable individual bearing the name Savalas was a Greek-American actor and singer, Savalas Aristidou, who rose to prominence in the mid-20th century. Born in 1922, he is best remembered for his iconic role as the bald, no-nonsense detective Theo Kojak in the popular television series "Kojak," which aired from 1973 to 1978.
While the name Savalas is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of Greek culture and history, serving as a reminder of the enduring influence of the ancient Greek civilization and its contributions to various aspects of human endeavor.
People
Savalas + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Savalas 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
Savalas: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Savalas?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 95 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Savalas 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 3,607,940 US residents.
Is Savalas a common name?
We classify Savalas as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 102 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Savalas most popular?
The single biggest year for Savalas was 1974, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Savalas is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Savalas in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 109 people with the name Savalas, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #52,143 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Savalas in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Savalas?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Savalas appears almost entirely male. Of the 105 people counted with this name, 99.0% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Savalas?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Savalas is Black at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Savalas most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Savalas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (100 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Savalas in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Savalas a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Savalas 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.
Is Savalas still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Savalas in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Savalas can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people are named Savalas?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Savalas at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.