SAVAGE
Savage is a surname of both English and Gaelic origin, situated within the broader tapestry of surnames that emerged from the use of nicknames in early medieval Britain. The name is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating its presence in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
The English derivation of the surname comes from the Middle English term sauvage, a word borrowed from Old French meaning “wild” or “untamed.” In this sense the name was likely applied as a nickname to a person whose temperament was perceived as fierce or uncontrolled, and it may also have served as a topographic name for someone who dwelt in an uncultivated or wild landscape.
In Ireland the surname can be traced to the Gaelic word Sabhasach, meaning a person who lives by a boundary or border. The Gaelicised form Mac an tSabhasaigh appears in historical annals, showing the integration of the name into Irish naming practices.
Historical documents provide several early attestations of the surname. The earliest recorded spelling, Edric Saluvage, appears in the Domesday survey of Herefordshire in 1086. Subsequent examples include Robert le Sauuage of Surrey dated 1198 and Ralph le Savage of Suffolk dated 1268, illustrating the name’s spread across southern England during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
In the north of Ireland the surname entered the province of Ulster through the settlement of the Co Down family of Savage—known as “Savage of the Ards”—in 1177, when the Norman invader John de Courcey planted English families there. The Annals of the Four Masters record that the name was adopted into Irish as Mac an tSabhasaigh, a testament to the assimilation of the English settlers into the local Gaelic culture.
The emigration of families bearing the name from Britain and Ireland to the New World is exemplified by the case of Thomas Savage, a 27‑year‑old taylor in 1635. He travelled from London on the ship Planter bound for New England, becoming among the earliest recorded bearers of the name in America. Subsequent waves of migration saw the surname spread to other colonies and eventually to modern overseas communities.
Throughout its history, Savage has been maintained as a surname that conveys a sense of frontier living and untamed spirit. Its documented presence from the Domesday Book through Norman settlements in Ireland, and later to the Americas, reflects the enduring nature of this moniker across cultural and geographic boundaries.
Typical given names associated with the Savage surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Savage in...
Braille
⠎⠁⠧⠁⠛⠑
Morse
....-...-.---..
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Savage are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Stem Ginger Biscuit.
There are approximately 23,176 people named Savage in the UK. That makes it the 363rd most common surname in Britain. Around 356 in a million people in Britain are named Savage.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Savage
- Rick Savage - Musician; bass guitarist
- Robbie Savage - Welsh football player
- Fred Savage - American actor/director
- Ben Savage - American actor
- Richard Savage - Cricketer
- Jon Savage - Music journalist
- Dominic Savage - Film director
- Edward Savage - Football player
- Bas Savage - Football player
- Edna Savage - Singer (1936 to 2000)
- Ethel May Dell Savage - Writer (1881 to 1939)
- R. J. G. Savage - Palaeontologist (1927 to 1998)
- Colin Savage - Media executive
- John Savage - Canadian politician, premier of Nova Scotia, (1932 to 2003)
- Jack Savage - Football player (1929 to 1)
- Charles Roscoe Savage - American photographer (1832 to 1909)
- Dudley Savage - Organist (1920 to 2008)
- Tom Savage - Rugby player
- Sarah Savage - Diarist (1664 to 1752)
- William Alfred Savage - Recipient of the Victoria Cross (1912 to 1942)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.