Savanna is the simpler spelling of Savannah and comes from the word for a tropical "grassland" or open plain, which English borrowed from Spanish sabana and ultimately from the Taino language of the Caribbean. The Georgia city and river made it a Southern place name as well. Savanna ranked number 210 in 2000, its best year, and has gradually given way to the h-spelling, dropping out of the top 1000 in 2024 and standing at number 1090 in 2025.