Salem

Did you know?

A few things about Salem you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Salem

Salem Al-Dawsari

Saudi footballer (born 1991)

Choose Salem and your child shares a first name with Salem Al-Dawsari, a Saudi footballer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Salem, like who?” Salem Al-Dawsari's Wikipedia article is available in 46 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Salem Al-Dawsari on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Дмитрий Садовников, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,260 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Salem, 711 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Salem would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistorySalem first shows up in US birth records in 1912, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 113 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2023, when it reached #417.
• 📈Then vs nowSalem is 21× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 47,847 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 2,260.
• 🚀TrendSalem has climbed 173 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #435. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedSalem is most popular in West Virginia, where it ranks #124, followed by Kentucky (#165) and North Carolina (#171). It's in the top 1,000 in 35 states.
• ⚖️Boy or girlSalem is given to both boys and girls: 64% of the 1,111 babies named Salem in 2025 were girls. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
• 💬MeaningIn Hebrew, Salem means “peace”. Our records link it to Arabic and Hebrew roots.

About the name Salem

Salem is a gender-neutral name of Arabic and Hebrew origin meaning “peace”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with S and ending in “-lem”. US birth records list Salem for girls from 1976 to 2025, in 49 of those 50 years. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked #417 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #435, with 711 babies. Of the 1,111 US babies named Salem in 2025, 64% were girls and 36% were boys.

Origin:Arabic namesHebrew names