Sava

♂ Boy

Pronounced SAH-vah /ˈsɑ.vɑ/Medium

Meaning: A Slavic form of Sabbas/Sabas — from Aramaic saba, 'an old man; a wise elder'; routes layeredLow

In 30 seconds: An old man; wise: Sava is the Slavic Sabbas — 'an old man; a wise elder'. Crisp, classic, and warm (said 'SAH-vah').

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Origin LowAramaic, Slavic

MeaningA Slavic form of Sabbas/Sabas — from Aramaic saba, 'an old man; a wise elder'; routes layered

U.S. rank (2025)#9566 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births8 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2022

Total births (all-time)≈ 212

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Sava is a Slavic form of Sabbas/Sabas — from Aramaic saba, 'an old man; a wise elder' (routes layered, which we note). Borne by Saint Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and patron saint of Serbia. A crisp, classic name (said 'SAH-vah'; nickname Savo).

In the U.S. it appears in Serbian and Slavic families. Rare, an-old-man-and-wise at the root, and classic.

Did you know? Sabbas means 'an old man; a wise elder' in Aramaic — Sava is its Slavic form (borne by Saint Sava, the patron saint of Serbia), crisp and classic (said 'SAH-vah').

Overall data confidence 52%

References — Sava — Slavic form of Sabbas

Variations

SabbasSavoSavva

Nicknames

Savo

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Sava…

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Shraga— lands in the same popularity range

Ivaan— shares Sava's Slavic roots

Yakov— a similarly popular pick

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By themeuncertain slavic aramaic

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Sava mean?

Sava is the Slavic Sabbas — Aramaic 'an old man; a wise elder'; the routes are layered.

How do you pronounce Sava?

It's said SAH-vah /ˈsɑ.vɑ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Sava a boy or girl name?

Sava is most often a boy's name in Slavic cultures.

How popular is Sava?

Sava is a rare name in the U.S.