Saleem: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,533

among boys · ↓441 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Saleem · -26% vs 2024

How common

1 in 32,228

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2024

72 babies

All-time total

1,945

#3,366 all-time among boys

First recorded

1960

in Social Security records

Saleem popularity over time

1,945 babies have been named Saleem since 1960, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	17	2	–	#3,873
1970s	177	18	+941%	#1,408
1980s	307	31	+73%	#1,163
1990s	296	30	-4%	#2,334
2000s	370	37	+25%	#2,376
2010s	471	47	+27%	#2,257
2020s (to 2025)	307	51	+9%	#2,092

Where Saleem is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	54	0.03	outside top 500
2027	54	0.03	outside top 500
2028	55	0.03	outside top 500
2029	56	0.03	outside top 500
2030	56	0.03	outside top 500

Where Saleem is most popular

Boys named Saleem per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.031 per 1,000. Strongest in District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Saleem born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Boys 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
District of Columbia	5	0.339	+1008%
Pennsylvania	35	0.132	+331%
New York	27	0.062	+104%
New Jersey	5	0.025	-19%
Ohio	6	0.023	-26%
North Carolina	5	0.020	-36%
California	13	0.014	-53%
Florida	5	0.011	-65%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Texas	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Saleem

Saleem is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,533 in 2025 with 53 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1960, 1,945 American babies have been named Saleem. Its peak came in 2024, when 72 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Saleem stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Saleem?

The median living Saleem is about 20 years old; half are between 9 and 35. An estimated 1,900 people named Saleem are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Saleem year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	53	#2,533
2024	72	#2,092
2023	48	#2,725
2022	44	#2,909
2021	47	#2,727
2020	43	#2,832
2019	53	#2,518
2018	61	#2,257
2017	56	#2,337
2016	43	#2,827
2015	42	#2,851
2014	57	#2,314
2013	37	#3,047
2012	36	#3,159
2011	41	#2,893
2010	45	#2,721
2009	47	#2,650
2008	36	#3,209
2007	41	#2,911
2006	37	#3,018
2005	37	#2,889
2004	45	#2,478
2003	29	#3,258
2002	27	#3,329
2001	42	#2,376
2000	29	#3,060
1995	27	#2,748
1990	27	#2,542
1985	23	#2,346
1980	62	#1,163
1975	7	#4,698
1970	5	#5,314
1965	–	–
1960	5	#4,510
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Saleem, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Saleem?

The median living Saleem is about 20 years old. Half of all living Saleems are between 9 and 35 years old.

How many people named Saleem are alive today?

An estimated 1,900 people named Saleem are alive in the United States, based on 1,945 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Saleem in 2025?

Saleem ranked #2,533 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 53 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Saleem?

1,945 babies have been named Saleem in the United States since 1960, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Saleem most popular?

Saleem peaked in 2024, when 72 newborns received the name.

Is Saleem a boy or girl name?

Saleem is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Saleem rising or falling?

Saleem is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Saleem become more popular?

Saleem looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 56 boys named Saleem in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Saleem

Names that sound and feel close to Saleem: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Saleem with similar names → More names starting with S →