Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Salvatore

Salvatore is the Italian equivalent to the Spanish Salvador. The English equivalent (i.e., “Savior”) is not used as a masculine name among English-speakers as the Italian and Spanish equivalents have been. Both Salvatore and Salvador come from the Late Latin “salvatorem” which means “savior” (a saver or preserver from “salvare” meaning “to save”). In Christianity “savior” is also a title of Jesus Christ the Savior, the one who delivers His followers from evil, heals their souls and saves them from hell. Given the ubiquity of Catholicism throughout Italy, it’s clear why Salvatore is a substantive name in Italian culture. It is an especially popular boy’s name in Southern Italy and Sicily. Nicknames include Sasà, Salvo, Sal or Tory.

All About the Baby Name – Salvatore

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME SALVATORE

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME SALVATORE

Salvatore has been in use in America since the late 1880s. At first, the usage of the name was probably influenced by Italian-Americans during the greatest surge of Italian immigration into the United States (1880-1914). Not surprisingly, Salvatore reached the apex of his success in the 19 teens and 20s. Although never a Top 100 favorite, he came quite close at position #148 on the charts (1914-1915). By the 1930s Salvatore began his slow and steady decline on the charts throughout the rest of the 20th century. As we’ve crossed the threshold into the 21st century, Salvatore’s drops on the charts have become more pronounced – this is a name rarely used at this point. Salvatore hasn’t fared as well as other Italian masculine names currently in circulation in the United States such as Leonardo, Orlando or Romeo. And the Spanish Salvador is more popular than the Italian Salvatore. Still, Salvatore sounds very ethnically Italian and is one of the few four-syllable masculine names out there. Ironically there have been several notorious Sicilian-American mobsters named Salvatore which adds some “tough guy” flavor to this otherwise religious name.

Quick Facts

ON SALVATORE

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Italian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

4

RANKING POPULARITY:

883

PRONUNCIATION:

sahl-vah-TOR-ә

SIMPLE MEANING:

Savior

Characteristics

OF SALVATORE

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Salvatore

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME SALVATORE

Salvatore “Sal” Paradise is protagonist and narrator of Jack Kerouac’s iconic Beat Generation novel, On The Road, which was based on his travels across the United States with and among his friends. Written during the late 1940s and early 1950s, it was first published in 1957 and immediately became the standard bearer for its own and future generations of disenchanted youth. Sal (Kerouac) hits the road with his friend Dean Moriarty (Neil Cassady), and they criss-cross the states, sometimes together, sometimes not, seeking adventure, knowledge, answers and in general, life. This involves a myriad of people, alcohol, drugs, sex, and some illegal activities. Sal looks up to Dean as the arbiter of “cool”, as the “dean” of the mores of this new world they navigate, trying to integrate their new found values of freedom into a world of stifling conformism. Of course they fail; along the way they find even more questions than answers, and very little in the way of comfort. To his credit, it is Sal whose search ultimately frees itself from the boundaries of selfishness displayed by Dean. Sal is on a quest, but his search does not involve the merciless casting off of people who no longer serve his purposes, as does Dean’s. We know better, but we still want to root for Salvatore in the hopes that he finds that elusive place that his very name promises.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME SALVATORE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Salvatore


Popular Songs

ON SALVATORE

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Salvatore


Famous People

NAMED SALVATORE

Salvatore "Sal" Mineo (actor)
Salvatore Ferragamo (fashion designer)
Salvatore Lucania (aka Lucky Luciano, mobster)
Salvatore Accardo (Italian violinist/conductor)
Salvatore Adamo (composer)
Salvatore Allegra (composer)
Salvatore Santoro (mobster)
Salvatore "Tory" Belleci (TV personality)
Salvatore Bonanno (mobster)
Salvatore "Totuccio" Contorno (mobster)
Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquila (mafia boss)
Salvatore Di Vittorio (composer/conductor)
Salvatore Inzerillo (mobster)
Salvatore Lo Piccolo (mobster)
Salvatore Maranzano (mobster)
Salvatore Montagna (mobster)
Salvatore Pincherle (mathematician)
Salvatore Quasimodo (Nobel Prize winner, literature)
Salvatore Riina (mobster)
Salvatore "Sal" Rinauro (wrestler)
Salvatore Schillaci (Italian footballer)
Salvatore Vasapolli (artist/photographer)

Children of Famous People

NAMED SALVATORE

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Salvatore

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME SALVATORE

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Salvatore