Girl · #1,066 in 2026

Savanna

Name: Popularity of the name Savanna in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Savanna, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

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.

Current Rank

#1,066

Peak Rank

#210 (2006)

Total Babies

33K

5-Yr Trend

-39%

1916

First Year

2026

Last Year

2006

Peak Year

#210

Peak Rank

33K

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Savanna

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

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

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 Savanna

Savanna first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1916, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2006, when 1,502 Savannas were born — ranking #230 that year. As of 2026, Savanna ranks #1,066 for baby girls with 233 births, falling sharply (-39%). In total, more than 33K Savannas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Savanna

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

Savannah
Savana
Savina
Savanah
Savannas
Savannahs
Savona
Savanne
Savane
Havana
Havanna
Havannah

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Savanna

What does the name Savanna mean?

How popular is Savanna in 2026?

In 2026, Savanna ranks #1,066 among girls' names in the U.S., with 233 babies given the name that year.

When was Savanna most popular?

Savanna reached its peak popularity in 2006, ranking #210 that year with 1,502 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Savanna most popular?

Savanna has historically been most popular in Alaska, South Dakota, Vermont. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Savanna.

Is Savanna a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Savanna is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Savanna?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Savanna include Guadalupe, Katelynn, Elma. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Savanna

Savanna is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1916 and has accumulated 33K births in the dataset. Savanna's peak popularity came in 2006 when it ranked #210. Use the chart and map above to compare Savanna'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.