NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Savanna

A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "grassy plain".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Savanna is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Savanna popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1603, with 19 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 64 births.

This profile covers 1,280 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 30% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,367 living people in the UK are called Savanna. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Savanna ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 19 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2017, when 64 girls were registered as Savanna.
  • Savanna ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #407 in 2024.
  • About 1,367 living people in the UK are estimated to have Savanna as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1603

2024

Births in 2024

19

Latest year

Peak year

2017

64 births

Estimated living

1,367

2026

Meaning

What does Savanna mean?

The name Savanna is derived from the Spanish word "sabana," which means a treeless plain or a grassy meadow. It is believed to have originated from the Taino language of the Caribbean, where the word "savana" referred to the grasslands and prairies found in the region. The name's roots can be traced back to the late 15th century when the Spanish colonizers arrived in the Americas.

The earliest recorded use of the name Savanna dates back to the 17th century, when it was used to describe the vast grasslands and savannas found in the Americas. In the 18th century, the name began to be used as a personal name, particularly among Spanish and Portuguese speakers.

One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Savanna was Savanna Barreto, a Portuguese explorer who led expeditions into the Amazon Basin in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Savanna de Segovia, a Spanish nun and mystic who lived in the 16th century and was known for her visions and prophecies.

In the 19th century, the name gained popularity in the United States, particularly in the Southern states where the landscape resembled the savannas of the Americas. One of the most famous individuals with the name was Savanna Archer, an American writer and activist who fought for women's rights and abolition in the mid-19th century.

Another notable figure was Savanna Everett, an American soldier who fought in the Civil War and was awarded the Medal of Honor for her bravery and valor on the battlefield. In the 20th century, Savanna Douglass was an American actress and dancer who rose to fame in the 1920s and appeared in several Broadway productions.

The name Savanna has also been used in literature and popular culture. In the classic novel "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell, one of the main characters is named Savanna O'Hara. Additionally, the name has been used in various television shows and movies, further contributing to its popularity.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Savanna over time

The chart below shows babies named Savanna registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Savanna, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 19 births in 2024, compared with 64 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Savanna
016324864199620102024

Decades

Savanna by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Savanna was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1038 178 5
2010s #697 569 10
2000s #795 376 10
1990s #635 157 4

Geography

Where Savanna is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Savanna. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Savanna ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #407 in 2024.

Scotland
6
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Savanna in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#482 in 2023

18 years of NRS records, 74 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#407 in 2024

6 years of NISRA records, 20 total registered

Related

Names similar to Savanna

FAQ

Savanna: questions and answers

How popular is the name Savanna in the UK right now?

In 2024, Savanna was ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales, with 19 births registered.

When was Savanna most popular?

The peak year on record was 2017, with 64 babies registered as Savanna in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Savanna?

A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "grassy plain".

How many people are called Savanna in the UK?

A total of 1,280 babies have been registered as Savanna across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 74 more in Scotland and 20 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Savanna most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Savanna ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #407 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.