The first name Sava
A boy’s name from Aramaic meaning “grandfather”, “old man”.
2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Aramaic origin
Sava means “grandfather”, “old man” in Aramaic.
From Ancient Greek Σάββας (Sábbas), a spiritual name taken on by Prince Rastko Nemanjić (Saint Sava) upon becoming a monk, from Aramaic סבא (“grandfather, old man”)
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Sava last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 3 girls. It peaked in 2017, with 5 births (#3,449).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Sava with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Sava at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 8 boys born in the United States were named Sava, the 9,566th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2022, when 15 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Sava
4 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Saint SavaFirst archbishop of Serbs, 1169–1235
- Sava IIArchbishop of Serbs, 1200–1271
- Sava SedmochislenikBulgarian scholar and saint, 9 c, 810–880
- Sabbas the Goth4th-century Gothic Christian martyr and locally venerated saint from what is now Romania, 334–372
Questions
- What does the name Sava mean?
- Sava means “grandfather”, “old man” in Aramaic.
- What is the origin of the name Sava?
- From Ancient Greek Σάββας (Sábbas), a spiritual name taken on by Prince Rastko Nemanjić (Saint Sava) upon becoming a monk, from Aramaic סבא (“grandfather, old man”)
- How popular is the name Sava?
- In 2024, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Sava, ranking 5,891st. Its peak was 2017, with 5 births.
- Is Sava a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 95% of the 222 US babies named Sava since 1880 were boys.
- When was Sava most popular?
- 2022 in the United States, when 15 babies were named Sava, its highest rank at 6,096th.