Explore the Family Name Saville
The meaning of Saville
English (of Norman origin; Yorkshire): habitational name from a place in northern France of which the identity is not clear, though it is probably Sainville in Eure-et-Loire, so called from Old French saisne ‘Saxon’ + ville ‘settlement’. Compare Savel, Savell, and Savelle.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Saville in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Saville decreased in popularity between 2000 and 2010, moving down from rank 9267 to 9813, a decline of approximately 5.89%. Despite this, the count of individuals with this surname increased slightly by 2.01% over this decade, from 3234 to 3299. The proportion per 100,000 people declined by 6.67%, indicating that although the number of people with this surname grew, it did not keep pace with overall population growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,267 | #9,813 | -5.89% |
| Count | 3,234 | 3,299 | 2.01% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.2 | 1.12 | -6.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Saville
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some changes in the distribution among those with the Saville surname. In 2000, the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (95.58%), and this remained relatively stable by 2010 (94%). There was a significant increase in those identifying as Black, rising from 0.56% to 1.55%. Those identifying as Hispanic also saw an increase of 33.64%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native reduced to zero by 2010, and the proportion of individuals identifying with two or more races decreased by 11.11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.58% | 94% | -1.65% |
| Hispanic | 2.2% | 2.94% | 33.64% |
| Black | 0.56% | 1.55% | 176.79% |
| Two or More Races | 0.99% | 0.88% | -11.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.46% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.22% | 0% | 0% |
Saville 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 Saville is British & Irish, which comprises 51.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.7%) and Scandinavian (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Italian, Indigenous American, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.5% |
| French & German | 28.7% |
| Scandinavian | 3.7% |
| Other | 16.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Saville
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 Saville have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
What Saville 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 Saville is R-M167, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M167 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L20 and R-Z381, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Marley, Cox, Hacker, Denis, Ripley, Fenner, Palmer, Speck, Dawkins, Bateman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Saville surname are: H1, H, J1. 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 Saville 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.
"Saville" Surname 41.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Light Hair
Hair that is blonde or light brown in color
"Saville" Surname 72.2%
23andMe Users 50.5%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Saville" Surname 46.2%
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.
"Saville" Surname 16.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Saville?
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 Saville are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition