Sal

Sal is a personal name used as a given name and, less commonly, as a surname. In many cultures it is a shortened form of longer names such as Salvatore, Salvador, or Sally, though it can also stand alone as a given name. The root of the longer forms often lies in the Latin salvator, meaning “savior,” a semantic link retained in some variants of the name.

Notable individuals with the name include Sal Mineo (1939–1976), an American actor known for Rebel Without a Cause; Sal Bando (1944–2023), an American baseball player who played for the Oakland Athletics; and Sal Vulcano (born 1976), an American comedian and television personality on Impractical Jokers.

Geography and places: Sal is also the name of an island in Cape Verde, located in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is known for its beaches and salt flats and includes the town of Santa Maria. Amílcar Cabral International Airport, located on Sal (IATA code SID), serves the island and the surrounding region. The economy of Sal has historically included salt production and has shifted toward tourism in recent decades.

Other uses: In Romance languages, the word sal means salt, reflecting the Latin root. As a given name, Sal commonly appears in English-speaking contexts, often as a short form of longer names, but it can also occur as a standalone form in various cultures.