Explore the Family Name Savage
The meaning of Savage
1. English: of Norman origin, a nickname for a wild or uncouth person, from Middle English and Old French salvage, sauvage ‘wild, untamed’ (from Late Latin salvaticus, literally ‘man of the woods’, a derivative of Latin silva ‘wood’ influenced by Latin salvus ‘whole’, i.e. natural). Compare French Sauvage. 2. Irish (Down): generally of English origin (it was taken to County Down in the 12th century), this name has also sometimes been adopted as equivalent of Gaelic Ó Sabháin, the name of a small south Munster sept, which was earlier Anglicized as O’Savin (see Savin). 3. Americanized form of Jewish (Ashkenazic) Savich and of Serbian Savić (see Savic). History: Jacob Savage, born in Exeter, Devon, England, in 1604, is recorded in Essex, NJ, by the early 1630s. Edward Savage, of Huguenot descent, emigrated from Ireland to Massachusetts in 1696. His grandson and namesake, who was born in Princeton, MA, in 1761 gained fame as an artist for his portrait of George Washington (1789–90).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Savage in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Savage" has displayed interesting fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 640th in terms of popularity but slipped slightly to the 690th spot by 2010, marking a decrease of roughly 7.81%. However, the actual count of people bearing the name grew from 48,367 in 2000 to 49,914 in 2010, a slight increase of about 3.2%. The proportion of individuals with this last name per 100,000 people also dipped by around 5.63%, moving from 17.93 in 2000 to 16.92 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #640 | #690 | -7.81% |
| Count | 48,367 | 49,914 | 3.2% |
| Proportion per 100k | 17.93 | 16.92 | -5.63% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Savage
The ethnicity breakdown of those with the surname "Savage" reflects broader patterns and shifts in America's demographic landscape, as shown by the Decennial U.S. Census data. Between 2000 and 2010, there was an increase in the number of Savage family members identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.42% to 0.50%), those reporting two or more races (1.61% to 2.07%), Hispanic (1.46% to 2.22%) and Black (18.59% to 19.57%). These increases were accompanied by a minor rise in those claiming American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity, from 0.67% to 0.80%. Meanwhile, the proportion of individuals identifying as White decreased from 77.24% in 2000 to 74.84% in 2010, a marginal decrease of around 3.11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.24% | 74.84% | -3.11% |
| Black | 18.59% | 19.57% | 5.27% |
| Hispanic | 1.46% | 2.22% | 52.05% |
| Two or More Races | 1.61% | 2.07% | 28.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.67% | 0.8% | 19.4% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.5% | 19.05% |
Savage ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Savage is British & Irish, which comprises 52.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.7%) and Eastern European (6.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Nigerian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.3% |
| French & German | 21.7% |
| Eastern European | 6.0% |
| Other | 20.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Savage
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Savage have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
What Savage haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Savage is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-Y4010, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Clark, Martin, Taylor, Brown, Clarke, Wilson, Walker, Kelley, Miller.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Savage surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Savage have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Savage" Surname 43.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Savage" Surname 28.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Savage" Surname 22.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Savage" Surname 19.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Savage?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Savage are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition