Savoy
Of French origin, meaning "from Savoy", referring to the historical region.
Name Census estimates that about 183 living Americans carry the first name Savoy. It is a predominantly male name (93.6% of registrations). The average person named Savoy today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Savoy births was 1992 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Savoy. 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
183
~ 1 in 1,872,975 Americans
Peak year
1992
10 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2017 SSA rank
#13,906
Tracked since 1966
Gender
Gender distribution for Savoy
Savoy leans heavily male at 93.6% of total registrations, but 12 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Savoy as a male name
- Ranked #13,906 in 2017
- 5 male births in 2017
- Peak: 1992 (10 births)
Savoy as a female name
- Ranked #19,522 in 2006
- 5 female births in 2006
- Peak: 1998 (7 births)
Popularity
Savoy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Savoy from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 53 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Savoy remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Savoy 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 Savoy 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 Savoy
The name Savoy has its origins in the French region of the same name, which is located in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. The name is derived from the Latin word "Sapaudia," which refers to the Sapaudian people who inhabited the area during the Roman period.
The earliest recorded use of the name Savoy dates back to the 11th century, when the County of Savoy was established as a territory within the Holy Roman Empire. The first Count of Savoy, Humbert I, known as the "White-Handed," ruled from 1003 to 1048 and is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the region.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the House of Savoy played a prominent role in European politics and history. One of the most notable figures from this dynasty was Amadeus VIII, who was elected as the Antipope Felix V during the Council of Basel in 1439. He later abdicated in 1449 and was recognized as the Duke of Savoy.
In the 16th century, the name Savoy gained further prominence with the birth of Margaret of Valois, known as "Queen Margot." She was the daughter of King Henry II of France and was married to Henry of Navarre, who later became King Henry IV of France. Margaret of Valois was born in 1553 and played a significant role in the French Wars of Religion.
Another famous figure with the name Savoy was Victor Amadeus II, who ruled as the Duke of Savoy from 1675 to 1730. He was instrumental in expanding the territory of Savoy and played a crucial role in the War of the Spanish Succession. Under his rule, Savoy became a major European power and was elevated to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1720.
In the 19th century, the name Savoy gained popularity in literature and art. One of the most notable figures was the French writer and critic Sainte-Beuve, whose real name was Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve. He was born in 1804 and is considered one of the greatest literary critics of the 19th century.
While the name Savoy has its roots in the French region, it has been adopted and used in various cultures and languages over the centuries. The name continues to hold historical significance and is associated with the rich cultural heritage of the Savoy region in eastern France.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Savoy
People
Savoy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Savoy 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
Savoy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Savoy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 183 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Savoy 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 1,872,975 US residents.
Is Savoy a common name?
We classify Savoy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 188 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Savoy most popular?
The single biggest year for Savoy was 1992, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Savoy is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Savoy a male name?
Yes, 93.6% of people registered as Savoy 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.