Salvador
A surname meaning “savior,” from a Christian personal name and devotional title for Christ.
The #2,772 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 23,711 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Salvador comes from Latin salvator, meaning “savior” or “one who saves.” In Christian usage it became a personal name and title for Christ, and surnames were later formed from that given name. In Iberian languages the form Salvador is especially common, but the same root also appears in related forms such as Salvator and Sauveur.
History
The surname is widespread in the Hispanic and Lusophone worlds, and it also appears in Italy and southern France in closely related forms. Some bearers may descend from a devotional given name, while in a few cases the name may have been influenced by place-names such as San Salvador. Historical surname lists also record it among Jewish families in abbreviated or adapted form, but that usage is not the primary origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root gave English the word “savior,” so the surname is essentially a built-in title of rescue.
From the historical record
“Sallandre, Sallandrouze. Voy. Salvador. 1» Sauveur (oc). Nom nlandre. de saint; 2" nom porté par des fa- j luilles Israélites qui l'ont abrégé”
— Dictionnaire des noms (French surnames)