2000
#99,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Savea
A surname of Samoan origin meaning "sacred child" or "blessed child."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 304 Americans carry the last name Savea. That puts it at #77,921 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,127,481 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Savea 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.
Bearers in the US
304
1 in 1,127,481
Census rank
#77,921
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
265
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 265 bearers of the surname Savea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 77921st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Savea, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.6%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Savea
The surname SAVEA originated in the Samoan Islands, a group of islands located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is believed to have derived from the Samoan word "sava," which means "to wander" or "to travel." This suggests that the name may have been given to those who were travelers or explorers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SAVEA surname can be found in the writings of John Williams, a missionary who visited the Samoan Islands in the early 19th century. He mentioned a chief named Savea who lived on the island of Upolu.
In the late 19th century, a Samoan man named Savea Savali was born (1865-1943). He was a prominent figure in the Samoan community and played a significant role in preserving Samoan culture and traditions.
Another notable individual with the SAVEA surname was Tofiga Savea (1902-1985), a Samoan writer and poet. He was known for his works that celebrated Samoan culture and explored themes of identity and belonging.
In the 20th century, the SAVEA name gained recognition in the sports world. One of the most famous figures was Peter Savea (1946-2019), a Samoan rugby player who represented his country in various international tournaments.
More recently, Leilua Savea (born 1991) has made a name for himself as a professional rugby player. He has played for the Samoa national rugby union team and has also represented clubs in New Zealand and France.
While the SAVEA surname is most prevalent in Samoa, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, it remains closely tied to its Samoan roots and the rich cultural heritage of the islands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Savea
Among Census respondents with the surname Savea, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.6%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Savea 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 Savea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander81.9% · 217
- Two or more races10.6% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 12
- White3.0% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Savea
Savea 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
#82,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 229
+61 bearers (+36.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 17,408 places
2020
#77,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 265
+36 bearers (+15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 4,396 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,725 | 168 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,317 | 229 | 0.08 | +61 bearers (+36.3%) | Up 17,408 places |
| 2020 | #77,921 | 265 | 0.09 | +36 bearers (+15.7%) | Up 4,396 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 Savea 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 | #82,317 | #77,921 | 5.3% |
| Count | 229 | 265 | 15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Savea bearers went from 229 to 265 (+15.7% change). The surname moved up 4,396 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,317 to #77,921.
FAQ
Savea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Savea?
Name Census estimates that about 304 living Americans carry the surname Savea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,127,481 residents.
How common is Savea?
Savea ranks #77,921 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 265 people with the surname Savea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (304), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Savea.
Has Savea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Savea went from 229 recorded bearers to 265. That is an increase of 36 (+15.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #82,317 to #77,921.
What does the Census say about the background of Savea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Savea, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.6%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Savea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (217 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Savea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (81.9%), Two or More Races (10.6%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Savea (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 Savea mean?
A surname of Samoan origin meaning "sacred child" or "blessed child." 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 Savea (0.09 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 many Americans have the surname Savea?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.