'salvia' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'salvia', where it is related to 'salvus' meaning 'safe' or 'healthy' (reflecting the plant's medicinal use).

'salvia' was used in Classical Latin to mean the sage plant; it passed into Medieval and then Botanical Latin and was borrowed into English as 'salvia' (plural 'salvias') for the genus name.

Initially, it meant 'the sage plant, used for healing,' and over time it has retained that sense as the botanical name for plants of the genus Salvia.