Holding steady, #10,695 for boys today.
Popularity of Saban since 1997
Babies named Saban per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2017, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Saban's real moment was 2024.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 10 |
| 2000s | 21 |
| 2010s | 73 |
| 2020s | 47 |
Meaning & origin
The name Saban first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1997, and its usage has remained very low and stable since then. In 2025, it ranked 10,695th, with approximately 1 in 284,679 newborns receiving the name. Its peak year so far was 2024, though even then it remained rare. The name's origins are ambiguous: it may be a modern Turkish name related to the word for 'dawn,' or a variant of the Slavic Sava. Without strong ties to any specific culture or language, Saban remains an uncommon choice in the United States.
Saban is a name with multiple possible origins. In Turkish, it may derive from 'sabah' meaning 'morning' or 'dawn,' though this connection is not firmly established. It also appears as a variant or short form of the Slavic name Sava, derived from the Greek Sabbas or the Aramaic 'saba' meaning 'old man.' Given its modern usage and uncertain derivation, it is best described as a name of ambiguous etymology.
Sibling names for Saban
Names that share Saban's style, for a brother or sister.
