Girl · #3,479 in 2026

Savanah

A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses.

  • English
Current Rank
#3,479
Peak Rank
#495 (1998)
Total Babies
10K
5-Yr Trend
-25%
1884
First Year
2026
Last Year
1998
Peak Year
#495
Peak Rank
10K
Total Count
94
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Savanah

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
Etymology
The word derives from the Spanish sabana , which is itself a loanword from Taíno , which means "treeless grassland" in the West Indies . The word originally entered English as the Zauana in a description of the ilands of the kinges of Spayne from 1555. This was equivalent in the orthography of the times to zavana (see history of V ). Peter Martyr reported it as the local name for the plain around Comagre, the court of the cacique Carlos in present-day Panama . The accounts are inexact, but this is usually placed in present-day Madugandí or at points on the nearby Guna Yala coast opposite Ustup

The Story of Savanah

Savanah first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1884, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1998, when 512 Savanahs were born — ranking #495 that year. As of 2026, Savanah ranks #3,479 for baby girls with 45 births, falling sharply (-25%). In total, more than 10K Savanahs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
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VT
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ID
SD
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OH
PA
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MD
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Top 10
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No data

Variants & Related Forms of Savanah

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Savanah. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Savanah

Phonetically similar names — useful when Savanah is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Savanah

What does the name Savanah mean?
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses.
What is the origin of the name Savanah?
Savanah has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Savanah in 2026?
In 2026, Savanah ranks #3,479 among girls' names in the U.S., with 45 babies given the name that year.
When was Savanah most popular?
Savanah reached its peak popularity in 1998, ranking #495 that year with 512 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Savanah most popular?
Savanah has historically been most popular in Idaho, Utah, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Savanah.
Is Savanah a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Savanah is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Savanah?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Savanah include Salina, Hettie, Macey. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Savanah?
Common variants and related forms of Savanah include Savanna, Savannah, Zavanna. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Savanah

Savanah is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. Savanah's peak popularity came in 1998 when it ranked #495. Use the chart and map above to compare Savanah's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.