where did the name savannah georgia come from
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah was named for the Savannah River , which probably derives from variant names for the Shawnee , a Native American people who migrated to the river in the 1680s . The Shawnee destroyed another Native people , the Westo , and occupied their lands at the head of the Savannah River 's navigation on the fall line , near present - day Augusta . These Shawnee , whose Native name was Ša wano ki ( literally , `` southerners '' ) , were known by several local variants , including Shawano , Savano , Savana and Savannah . Another theory is that the name Savannah refers to the extensive marshlands surrounding the river for miles inland , and is derived from the English term `` savanna '' , a kind of tropical grassland , which was borrowed by the English from Spanish sabana and used in the Southern Colonies . ( The Spanish word comes from the Taino word zabana . ) Still other theories suggest that the name Savannah originates from Algonquian terms meaning not only `` southerners '' but perhaps `` salt '' . 
Savannah was named for the Savannah River , which probably derives from variant names for the Shawnee , a Native American people who migrated to the river in the 1680s . The Shawnee destroyed another Native people , the Westo , and occupied their lands at the head of the Savannah River 's navigation on the fall line , near present - day Augusta . These Shawnee , whose Native name was Ša wano ki ( literally , `` southerners '' ) , were known by several local variants , including Shawano , Savano , Savana and Savannah . Another theory is that the name Savannah refers to the extensive marshlands surrounding the river for miles inland , and is derived from the English term `` savanna '' , a kind of tropical grassland , which was borrowed by the English from Spanish sabana and used in the Southern Colonies . ( The Spanish word comes from the Taino word zabana . ) Still other theories suggest that the name Savannah originates from Algonquian terms meaning not only `` southerners '' but perhaps `` salt '' .
Savannah was named for the Savannah River. Another theory is that the name Savannah refers to the extensive marshlands surrounding the river for miles inland. Still other theories suggest that the name Savannah originates from Algonquian terms meaning not only ``southerners'' but perhaps ``salt''.
Savannah was named for the Savannah River , which probably derives from variant names for the Shawnee , a Native American people who migrated to the river in the 1680s . Another theory is that the name Savannah refers to the extensive marshlands surrounding the river for miles inland , and is derived from the English term `` savanna '' , a kind of tropical grassland , which was borrowed by the English from Spanish sabana and used in the Southern Colonies . Still other theories suggest that the name Savannah originates from Algonquian terms meaning not only `` southerners '' but perhaps `` salt '' .