Salvatore
An Italian surname from a personal name meaning “saviour,” ultimately from Latin.
The #6,046 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 54,357 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Salvatore comes from the Italian personal name Salvatore, which means “saviour.” The name ultimately goes back to Latin salvator, from salvare, “to save.” As a surname, it usually began as a family-name taken from an ancestor’s given name or devotional Christian naming practice.
History
The name is especially associated with Italy and Italian-speaking communities, where it has long been used both as a given name and a surname. It spread more widely through Italian migration, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is now found in the Americas, Australia, and elsewhere in the Italian diaspora.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Italian, Salvatore is still commonly used as a masculine given name as well as a surname.
From the historical record
“47 Salvador, m. Span. Lat. saviour, 193 Salvatore, m. Ital. Lat. saviour, 193 Salvestro, m. Ital. Lat- woody, 179 Sam, m. Eng. Heb. asked of God, 20 Samel, m. Esth. Heb. asked of God, 20”
— History of Christian Names