Salma: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#937

among girls · ↓65 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

278

named Salma · -10% vs 2024

How common

1 in 5,782

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1999

442 babies

All-time total

10,316

#1,628 all-time among girls

First recorded

1918

in Social Security records

Salma popularity over time

10,316 babies have been named Salma since 1918, 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

GirlsBoys

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	6	–	6	1	–	#4,738
1920s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1970s	59	–	59	6	–	#5,143
1980s	178	–	178	18	+202%	#3,617
1990s	1,535	–	1,535	154	+762%	#569
2000s	3,488	–	3,488	349	+127%	#673
2010s	3,321	5	3,326	333	-5%	#740
2020s (to 2025)	1,724	–	1,724	287	-14%	#872

Where Salma is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (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 girls	Implied rank
2026	279	0.17	outside top 500
2027	279	0.17	outside top 500
2028	280	0.17	outside top 500
2029	280	0.17	outside top 500
2030	280	0.17	outside top 500

Where Salma is most popular

Girls named Salma per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.183 per 1,000. Strongest in Minnesota, Illinois, and Florida.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Salma 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	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Minnesota	89	0.825	+351%
Illinois	88	0.384	+110%
Florida	151	0.353	+93%
Washington	50	0.346	+89%
New Jersey	52	0.288	+57%
Massachusetts	32	0.265	+45%
New York	102	0.258	+41%
California	211	0.251	+37%
Texas	198	0.246	+35%
Michigan	44	0.242	+32%
Ohio	55	0.232	+27%
Virginia	33	0.194	+6%
Wisconsin	17	0.165	-10%
Maryland	17	0.160	-12%
Tennessee	25	0.158	-14%
Arizona	20	0.143	-22%
Pennsylvania	25	0.106	-42%
Georgia	21	0.092	-49%
South Carolina	7	0.078	-57%
North Carolina	17	0.075	-59%
Oklahoma	5	0.068	-63%
Indiana	9	0.064	-65%
Colorado	6	0.054	-71%
Missouri	5	0.041	-77%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
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 Salma

Salma is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #937 in 2025 with 278 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1918, 10,316 American babies have been named Salma. Its peak came in 1999, when 442 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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

How old are people named Salma?

The median living Salma is about 16 years old; half are between 8 and 23. An estimated 10 thousand people named Salma 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.

Salma 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	278	#937	–	–
2024	310	#872	–	–
2023	295	#907	–	–
2022	311	#898	–	–
2021	290	#919	–	–
2020	240	#1,048	–	–
2019	289	#919	–	–
2018	340	#804	–	–
2017	362	#767	–	–
2016	385	#740	–	–
2015	351	#803	–	–
2014	309	#883	–	–
2013	324	#826	–	–
2012	348	#786	5	#13,852
2011	313	#844	–	–
2010	300	#884	–	–
2009	360	#789	–	–
2008	332	#848	–	–
2007	349	#825	–	–
2006	362	#760	–	–
2005	358	#750	–	–
2004	309	#812	–	–
2003	377	#694	–	–
2002	318	#762	–	–
2001	364	#684	–	–
2000	359	#673	–	–
1995	49	#2,581	–	–
1990	38	#3,008	–	–
1985	12	#5,966	–	–
1980	11	#6,231	–	–
1975	9	#6,343	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Salma

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

1 Salma Hayek Mexican and American actress (born 1966) Contemporary
2 Salma Agha British actress and singer (born 1954) b. 1956 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Salma?

The median living Salma is about 16 years old. Half of all living Salmas are between 8 and 23 years old.

How many people named Salma are alive today?

An estimated 10 thousand people named Salma are alive in the United States, based on 10,316 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Salma mean?

Borrowed from Arabic سَلْمَى (salmā).

How popular is the name Salma in 2025?

Salma ranked #937 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 278 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Salma?

10,316 babies have been named Salma in the United States since 1918, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Salma most popular?

Salma peaked in 1999, when 442 newborns received the name.

Is Salma a boy or girl name?

Salma is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Salma rising or falling?

Salma has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Salma become more popular?

Salma looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 280 girls named Salma in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Salma?

Well-known people named Salma include Salma Hayek (actor), Salma Agha (actor).

Names like Salma

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

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