girl's name
Saffron
SAF-run (English)
- Origin Arabic, French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 5,324
Saffron is a girl's name taken from the golden spice, which comes from the stigmas of a crocus. The word reached English through Old French safran from Arabic za'faran, and it's a color and spice name most at home in England and Wales.
- Saffron is a name of Arabic, French origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2000, when 345 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 19,516 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Saffron Over Time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 961 |
| 2000s | 2,163 |
| 2010s | 826 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 281 |
What Saffron Means
Saffron names the deep yellow spice and its color. It's one of the most expensive foods in the world, so the name suggests warmth, rarity and a certain luxury.
Where Saffron Comes From
Arabic za'faran, usually linked with a word for yellow, passed into Medieval Latin as safranum and into Old French as safran. English had it by about 1200. Crocus fields later flourished in Spain and in England itself. Saffron Walden in Essex took its name from the crop, grown there for centuries. As a surname it appears for a spice seller or for someone with reddish-yellow hair. Using it as a girl's first name followed the twentieth-century fashion for spice, herb and color names such as Rosemary, Ginger and Scarlett.
Saffron in Use
In England the name is linked with Julia Sawalha's Saffron Monsoon in the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, and with the actress Saffron Burrows. Hindu and Buddhist traditions give saffron robes and the color a spiritual weight.
How Popular Is Saffron?
In 2025, Saffron was given to 27 babies in England and Wales. It is a rare choice.
Where Saffron Is Used
Figures for England and Wales leave out any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Saffron
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Saffron Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Saffron over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Saffron
- English SAF-run /ˈsæfrən/
1 nickname for Saffron
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
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Saffy #6,460
Sibling Names for Saffron
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Saffron — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Saffron
What does the name Saffron mean?
It's the golden spice, from the Arabic za'faran.
Is Saffron a popular name?
It's most familiar in England and Wales and rare in the United States.
What is a nickname for Saffron?
Saffy is the usual short form.
Is Saffron a girl's or a boy's name?
Saffron is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Saffron?
Saffron has 2 syllables.
Is Saffron a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Saffron currently ranks #1,210 in England and Wales. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.