2000
#9,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,060
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Saba
An Italian surname referring to someone from Savoy or derived from the Arabic word for "lion cub."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,452 Americans carry the last name Saba. That puts it at #8,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,989 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saba surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Saba with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,989
Census rank
#8,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,882 bearers of the surname Saba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saba, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saba
The surname SABA originates from Italy, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to be derived from the Latin word "sabbatum," meaning Saturday or the Sabbath day. This suggests that the name may have been given to a person or family who observed the Sabbath with particular diligence or lived near a place associated with the Sabbath.
SABA is thought to have originated in the region of Tuscany, specifically in the city of Siena. The earliest known record of the name appears in a document from the 13th century, where a certain Guido di SABA is mentioned as a landowner in the area.
During the Renaissance period, the name SABA gained prominence in the city of Venice. One notable figure was Giovanni SABA, a renowned Venetian painter who lived from 1516 to 1594. His works, which include religious paintings and portraits, can be found in various churches and galleries across Italy.
In the 17th century, the SABA family established itself as a prominent noble family in the city of Naples. One of the most distinguished members was Niccolò SABA (1619-1678), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Neapolitan court.
Another notable figure bearing the surname SABA was Carlo SABA (1743-1817), an Italian mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was appointed as the director of the Astronomical Observatory in Padua.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe SABA (1833-1909) was a prominent Italian journalist and writer. He founded several newspapers and served as a member of the Italian parliament, representing the city of Turin.
The name SABA has also been associated with various place names throughout Italy, such as the town of Sabaudia in the province of Latina, and the Saba River, a tributary of the Adige River in the Veneto region.
While the surname SABA is more prevalent in Italy, it can also be found in other parts of Europe and the Americas, likely due to migration patterns. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above highlight the rich heritage and significance of this surname within the Italian cultural and historical context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saba
Among Census respondents with the surname Saba, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Saba bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Saba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 2,843
- Hispanic or Latino11.3% · 438
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.9% · 308
- Black or African American4.0% · 155
- Two or more races3.3% · 129
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saba
Saba appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,712
+652 bearers (+21.3%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Up 927 places
2020
#8,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,882
+170 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Up 658 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,749 | 3,060 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,822 | 3,712 | 1.26 | +652 bearers (+21.3%) | Up 927 places |
| 2020 | #8,164 | 3,882 | 1.30 | +170 bearers (+4.6%) | Up 658 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Saba surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,822 | #8,164 | 7.5% |
| Count | 3,712 | 3,882 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.30 | 3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saba bearers went from 3,712 to 3,882 (+4.6% change). The surname moved up 658 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,822 to #8,164.
FAQ
Saba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saba?
Name Census estimates that about 4,452 living Americans carry the surname Saba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,989 residents.
How common is Saba?
Saba ranks #8,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,882 people with the surname Saba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,452), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Saba.
Has Saba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saba went from 3,712 recorded bearers to 3,882. That is an increase of 170 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,822 to #8,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Saba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saba, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Saba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (2,843 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Hispanic (11.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Saba (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Saba mean?
An Italian surname referring to someone from Savoy or derived from the Arabic word for "lion cub." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Saba (1.30 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Saba?
You can see how many people are called Saba on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.