Salim: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,328

among boys · ↑336 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Salim · +20% vs 2024

How common

1 in 28,468

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2023

65 babies

All-time total

2,005

#3,301 all-time among boys

First recorded

1960

in Social Security records

Salim popularity over time

2,005 babies have been named Salim 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	46	5	–	#2,290
1970s	178	18	+287%	#1,748
1980s	262	26	+47%	#1,690
1990s	309	31	+18%	#2,170
2000s	379	38	+23%	#2,338
2010s	509	51	+34%	#2,272
2020s (to 2025)	322	54	+5%	#2,215

Where Salim 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	61	0.04	outside top 500
2027	62	0.04	outside top 500
2028	63	0.04	outside top 500
2029	64	0.04	outside top 500
2030	65	0.04	outside top 500

Where Salim is most popular

Boys named Salim per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.032 per 1,000. Strongest in Minnesota, New York, and New Jersey.

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 Salim 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
Minnesota	26	0.212	+558%
New York	24	0.055	+72%
New Jersey	11	0.055	+70%
Ohio	11	0.042	+29%
Massachusetts	5	0.036	+13%
Pennsylvania	6	0.023	-30%
California	19	0.021	-35%
Texas	13	0.015	-54%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Florida	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
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 Salim

Salim is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,328 in 2025 with 60 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1960, 2,005 American babies have been named Salim. Its peak came in 2023, when 65 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 Salim stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Salim?

The median living Salim is about 19 years old; half are between 9 and 34. An estimated 2,000 people named Salim 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.

Salim year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	60	#2,328
2024	50	#2,664
2023	65	#2,215
2022	53	#2,586
2021	50	#2,615
2020	44	#2,800
2019	56	#2,415
2018	54	#2,441
2017	54	#2,412
2016	55	#2,383
2015	51	#2,478
2014	45	#2,701
2013	57	#2,272
2012	47	#2,621
2011	39	#2,992
2010	51	#2,464
2009	51	#2,514
2008	38	#3,092
2007	40	#2,965
2006	46	#2,615
2005	29	#3,438
2004	31	#3,208
2003	31	#3,101
2002	41	#2,464
2001	43	#2,338
2000	29	#3,061
1995	38	#2,170
1990	21	#3,042
1985	26	#2,166
1980	35	#1,690
1975	18	#2,435
1970	9	#3,477
1965	–	–
1960	6	#3,985
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Salim

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Salim Ali Indian ornithologist (1896–1987) 19th century
2 Salim Ahmed Salim Tanzanian politician and diplomat b. 1942 · Contemporary
3 Salim Ghazi Saeedi Iranian composer and guitarist (born 1981) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Salim?

The median living Salim is about 19 years old. Half of all living Salims are between 9 and 34 years old.

How many people named Salim are alive today?

An estimated 2,000 people named Salim are alive in the United States, based on 2,005 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Salim in 2025?

Salim ranked #2,328 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 60 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Salim?

2,005 babies have been named Salim in the United States since 1960, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Salim most popular?

Salim peaked in 2023, when 65 newborns received the name.

Is Salim a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Salim rising or falling?

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

Will Salim become more popular?

Salim is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 65 boys named Salim in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Salim?

Well-known people named Salim include Salim Ali (biologist), Salim Ahmed Salim (politician), Salim Ghazi Saeedi (musician).

Names like Salim

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

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