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Savalas

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Savalas

Pronounced suh-VAL-us /səˈvæ.ləs/Medium

Meaning: Savalas is a first name taken from the Greek-American surname Savalas, borne by the actor Telly Savalas, star of the 1970s detective series Kojak. Used as a given name, it honors that figure rather than carrying an independent word meaning.Low

In 30 seconds: Savalas is a rare boy's name lifted from the surname of actor Telly Savalas, the bald, lollipop-toting star of Kojak. It appears only a handful of times, an homage to that seventies television icon.

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Origin MediumGreek

MeaningSavalas is a first name taken from the Greek-American surname Savalas, borne by the actor Telly Savalas, star of the 1970s detective series Kojak. Used as a given name, it honors that figure rather than carrying an independent word meaning.

U.S. rank (2002)#7525 ↗ Rising

2002 U.S. births9 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1974

Total births (all-time)≈ 102

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

Savalas is a surname-turned-first-name, drawn from the Greek-American family name of actor Telly Savalas. Its handful of appearances cluster around the height of his fame as television's Lieutenant Kojak, marking it as a namesake tribute.

It was always exceedingly rare, only a small handful of boys across its whole span, and reads as a pop-culture homage rather than an established given name. Its meaning is simply the man it honors.

Did you know? Savalas almost certainly honors Telly Savalas, whose gritty detective Kojak was a household name in the mid-seventies - the years this name flickers into the records.

Overall data confidence 50%

References - Savalas (surname); Telly Savalas — namesake given name; Kojak-era

Variations

SavallasSavalisSavalos

Nicknames

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Savalas mean?

Savalas is a given name taken from the surname of actor Telly Savalas, star of Kojak.

How do you pronounce Savalas?

It's said suh-VAL-us /səˈvæ.ləs/.

Is Savalas a boy or girl name?

Savalas is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Savalas?

Savalas has always been extremely rare, appearing mainly as a namesake tribute to the actor Telly Savalas.