Savard
A French surname with origins indicating person hailed from an area with woods or forests.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,022 Americans carry the last name Savard. That puts it at #16,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 169,513 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Savard surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 169,513
Census rank
#16,525
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,738 bearers of the surname Savard in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Savard, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Savard
The surname Savard has its origins in France and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "sauvart," which means "wild boar." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname for someone who displayed characteristics associated with a wild boar, such as strength, ferocity, or aggressiveness.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Savard can be found in historical documents from the region of Normandy in northern France. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Raoul Savard, a Norman knight who participated in the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
During the Middle Ages, the Savard family established themselves as landowners and nobles in various parts of France. The name is also closely associated with the town of Savard, located in the department of Eure-et-Loir, which may have been named after the family or vice versa.
Notable historical figures with the surname Savard include Jacques Savard, a French philosopher and theologian who lived in the 16th century (born around 1520, died in 1587). Another prominent individual was Pierre Savard, a French explorer and cartographer who accompanied Jacques Cartier on his voyages to North America in the 1530s.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, several members of the Savard family immigrated to various French colonies, including Canada and the Caribbean islands. One notable figure from this period was Jean-Baptiste Savard, a French-Canadian merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Quebec in the late 17th century (born in 1652, died in 1727).
Another notable figure was Marie-Anne Savard, a French-Canadian nun who founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary in 1796 (born in 1750, died in 1827). Her order was dedicated to providing education for young girls in rural areas of Quebec.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Savard name continued to be prominent in various fields, including politics, literature, and the arts. For example, French writer and journalist Félix Savard (born in 1876, died in 1932) was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Paris during the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Savard
Among Census respondents with the surname Savard, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Savard bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Savard surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1%
- Hispanic or Latino2.6%
- Two or more races1.2%
- Black or African American0.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Savard surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,525 | #16,525 | 0.0% |
| Count | 1,738 | 1,738 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.59 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Savard bearers went from 1,738 to 1,738 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #16,525 to #16,525.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Savard
FAQ
Savard surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Savard?
The surname Savard holds position #16,525 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,022 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Savard surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Savard, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.