Saleh: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,472

among boys · ↓520 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Saleh · -32% vs 2024

How common

1 in 31,056

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2018

83 babies

All-time total

1,783

#3,555 all-time among boys

First recorded

1974

in Social Security records

Saleh popularity over time

1,783 babies have been named Saleh since 1974, 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

BoysGirls

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	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	31	31	3	–	#5,869
1980s	–	137	137	14	+342%	#2,675
1990s	–	241	241	24	+76%	#2,521
2000s	–	364	364	36	+51%	#2,528
2010s	–	591	591	59	+62%	#1,832
2020s (to 2025)	6	413	419	70	+18%	#1,952

Where Saleh 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	55	0.03	outside top 500
2027	55	0.03	outside top 500
2028	55	0.03	outside top 500
2029	55	0.03	outside top 500
2030	55	0.03	outside top 500

Where Saleh is most popular

Boys named Saleh per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.041 per 1,000. Strongest in Michigan, New York, and Illinois.

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 Saleh 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
Michigan	43	0.210	+418%
New York	60	0.139	+242%
Illinois	20	0.078	+93%
California	47	0.051	+27%
North Carolina	7	0.027	-32%
Ohio	5	0.019	-53%
Texas	7	0.008	-80%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Florida	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
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 Saleh

Saleh is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,472 in 2025 with 55 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1974, 1,783 American babies have been named Saleh. Its peak came in 2018, when 83 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Saleh stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Saleh?

The median living Saleh is about 13 years old; half are between 6 and 24. An estimated 1,800 people named Saleh 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.

Saleh year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	–	–	55	#2,472
2024	–	–	81	#1,952
2023	–	–	79	#1,963
2022	6	#15,004	74	#2,058
2021	–	–	61	#2,295
2020	–	–	63	#2,204
2019	–	–	61	#2,286
2018	–	–	83	#1,832
2017	–	–	74	#1,955
2016	–	–	75	#1,955
2015	–	–	56	#2,349
2014	–	–	59	#2,269
2013	–	–	54	#2,357
2012	–	–	48	#2,590
2011	–	–	45	#2,695
2010	–	–	36	#3,172
2009	–	–	38	#3,096
2008	–	–	49	#2,575
2007	–	–	50	#2,528
2006	–	–	35	#3,143
2005	–	–	43	#2,605
2004	–	–	36	#2,871
2003	–	–	32	#3,032
2002	–	–	30	#3,077
2001	–	–	25	#3,491
2000	–	–	26	#3,280
1995	–	–	26	#2,834
1990	–	–	15	#3,932
1985	–	–	8	#5,063
1980	–	–	7	#5,412
1975	–	–	5	#6,172
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Saleh?

The median living Saleh is about 13 years old. Half of all living Salehs are between 6 and 24 years old.

How many people named Saleh are alive today?

An estimated 1,800 people named Saleh are alive in the United States, based on 1,783 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Saleh mean?

From Iranian Persian صالح (sâleh) or directly from Arabic صَالِح (ṣāliḥ, literally “pious”).

How popular is the name Saleh in 2025?

Saleh ranked #2,472 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 55 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Saleh?

1,783 babies have been named Saleh in the United States since 1974, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Saleh most popular?

Saleh peaked in 2018, when 83 newborns received the name.

Is Saleh a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Saleh rising or falling?

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

Will Saleh become more popular?

Saleh looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 55 boys named Saleh in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Saleh

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

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