Savo

See also: savo and savó

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian Savo.

Proper noun

Savo (plural Savos)

1. A surname from Italian.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Savo is the 39117^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 563 individuals. Savo is most common among White (85.08%) individuals.

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Savo”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.

Finnish

Historical region

Etymology

A shortening of earlier Savoilahti, Savoinlahti (attested as Sawolax in 1323), the latter part of which is lahti (“bay, gulf”), earlier laksi (thus Swedish Savolax, from *Savoi(n)laksi). The name is almost certainly related to Savilahti (after which a bailiwick and later the region was named) which is likely simply savi (“clay”) + lahti (“bay, gulf”), with the -o representing a diminutive ending (from *-oi), possibly through a demonym savolainen.

Other theories associate the name with Sami words for “stream pool” (Proto-Samic *sëvōn, Northern Sami savu), with an Eastern Finnish given name Savo (compare the Veps given name Savoi), from Russian Савва (Savva), Савва́тий (Savvátij), and a Western Finnish given name Sauvo (possibly akin to saukko). These given names could perhaps be more relevant as sources for the surname than for the place name at large, although the surname probably mostly derives from the place name.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɑʋo/, [ˈs̠ɑ̝ʋo̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑʋo
• Syllabification^(key): Sa‧vo
• Hyphenation^(key): Sa‧vo

Proper noun

Savo

1. Savonia (historical and cultural region in Finland)
2. a Finnish surname transferred from the place name

Declension

Inflection of Savo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		Savo	Savot
genitive		Savon	Savojen
partitive		Savoa	Savoja
illative		Savoon	Savoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Savo	Savot
accusative	nom.	Savo	Savot
	gen.	Savon
genitive		Savon	Savojen
partitive		Savoa	Savoja
inessive		Savossa	Savoissa
elative		Savosta	Savoista
illative		Savoon	Savoihin
adessive		Savolla	Savoilla
ablative		Savolta	Savoilta
allative		Savolle	Savoille
essive		Savona	Savoina
translative		Savoksi	Savoiksi
abessive		Savotta	Savoitta
instructive		—	Savoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Savo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Savoni Savoni accusative nom. Savoni Savoni gen. Savoni genitive Savoni Savojeni partitive Savoani Savojani inessive Savossani Savoissani elative Savostani Savoistani illative Savooni Savoihini adessive Savollani Savoillani ablative Savoltani Savoiltani allative Savolleni Savoilleni essive Savonani Savoinani translative Savokseni Savoikseni abessive Savottani Savoittani instructive — — comitative — Savoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Savosi Savosi accusative nom. Savosi Savosi gen. Savosi genitive Savosi Savojesi partitive Savoasi Savojasi inessive Savossasi Savoissasi elative Savostasi Savoistasi illative Savoosi Savoihisi adessive Savollasi Savoillasi ablative Savoltasi Savoiltasi allative Savollesi Savoillesi essive Savonasi Savoinasi translative Savoksesi Savoiksesi abessive Savottasi Savoittasi instructive — — comitative — Savoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Savomme Savomme accusative nom. Savomme Savomme gen. Savomme genitive Savomme Savojemme partitive Savoamme Savojamme inessive Savossamme Savoissamme elative Savostamme Savoistamme illative Savoomme Savoihimme adessive Savollamme Savoillamme ablative Savoltamme Savoiltamme allative Savollemme Savoillemme essive Savonamme Savoinamme translative Savoksemme Savoiksemme abessive Savottamme Savoittamme instructive — — comitative — Savoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Savonne Savonne accusative nom. Savonne Savonne gen. Savonne genitive Savonne Savojenne partitive Savoanne Savojanne inessive Savossanne Savoissanne elative Savostanne Savoistanne illative Savoonne Savoihinne adessive Savollanne Savoillanne ablative Savoltanne Savoiltanne allative Savollenne Savoillenne essive Savonanne Savoinanne translative Savoksenne Savoiksenne abessive Savottanne Savoittanne instructive — — comitative — Savoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Savonsa Savonsa accusative nom. Savonsa Savonsa gen. Savonsa genitive Savonsa Savojensa partitive Savoaan Savoansa Savojaan Savojansa inessive Savossaan Savossansa Savoissaan Savoissansa elative Savostaan Savostansa Savoistaan Savoistansa illative Savoonsa Savoihinsa adessive Savollaan Savollansa Savoillaan Savoillansa ablative Savoltaan Savoltansa Savoiltaan Savoiltansa allative Savolleen Savollensa Savoilleen Savoillensa essive Savonaan Savonansa Savoinaan Savoinansa translative Savokseen Savoksensa Savoikseen Savoiksensa abessive Savottaan Savottansa Savoittaan Savoittansa instructive — — comitative — Savoineen Savoinensa

Derived terms

• savakko
• savo
• savolainen

compounds

• Etelä-Savo
• Pohjois-Savo
• Savonlinna
• Savonranta

Statistics

• The surname Savo belongs to 171 individuals, according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• vaso

Italian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsa.vo/
• Rhymes: -avo
• Hyphenation: Sà‧vo

Proper noun

Savo m or f by sense

1. a surname

Latin

Etymology 1

Probably related to the name of the river (see Etymology 2 below).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈsa.woː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈsaː.vo]

Proper noun

Savō f sg (genitive Savōnis); third declension

1. a city in Liguria, now Savona

Declension

Third-declension noun, with locative, singular only.

	singular
nominative	Savō
genitive	Savōnis
dative	Savōnī
accusative	Savōnem
ablative	Savōne
vocative	Savō
locative	Savōnī Savōne

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈsaː.woː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈsaː.vo]

Proper noun

Sāvō f sg (genitive Sāvōnis); third declension

The river's waterfall

1. a river in Campania, now Savone

Declension

Third-declension noun, singular only.

	singular
nominative	Sāvō
genitive	Sāvōnis
dative	Sāvōnī
accusative	Sāvōnem
ablative	Sāvōne
vocative	Sāvō

References

• “1 Sāvo”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “2 Savo”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.