Founded by the Russian Greek Orthodox Inkeriköt (Izhorians) in the 17th century and called Savelionkylä (or Savelankylä), the village later changed its name to Savelino () due to its proximity to the village of Savelikha, which was built in 1870 during the construction and expansion of the private Rybinsk-Bologoye Railway. The railway merged with the narrow gauge (1067 mm) Novgorod Railway and broad gauge (1829 mm) Tsarskoye Selo Railway in 1895 to form a new private railway company, which then built two branch lines from Savelino — one to Kashin () and the other one to Krasny Kholm () in 1898 and 1899 respectively. During the Soviet era, following the construction of new railway lines and a bridge over the Volga River, Sonkovo became a major railway station.