At a glance
- In short
- Salem is a unisex name from Hebrew meaning whole or complete, linked to peace.
- U.S. rank 2025 (girls)
- #435
- Babies in 2025 (girls)
- 711 (0.040% of girls)
- As a boy name
- #679 in 2025 (400 babies)Peak #630 in 2023
- Trend (girls)
- Rising #608 in 2020 to #435 in 2025
- Peak (girls)
- #417 in 2023
- First recorded
- 1912 (as a boy name; 1976 as a girl name)
Meaning of Salem
Salem comes from the Hebrew shalem, meaning "whole" or "complete," and is closely related to shalom, "peace." It is pronounced SAY-lum and is given to both girls and boys.
In Genesis, Salem is the city of the priest-king Melchizedek, long identified with Jerusalem. Puritan settlers gave the name to Salem, Massachusetts, remembered for its witch trials of 1692, and it is also the capital of Oregon. Many people also know Salem as the talking cat in Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Long a rare choice, Salem began climbing quickly in the mid-2010s, rising from 1,284th in 2016 to a peak of 417th in 2023. In 2025 it ranked 435th in the U.S., with 711 babies, and was No. 91 among the 1,000 most popular girls' names of 2025 ordered by how fast they climbed the rankings from 2016 to 2025.
How to pronounce Salem
English
- Pronounced say-lum /seɪˈləm/
Popularity of Salem in the U.S.
Salem was the #435 girl name in the U.S. in 2025, with 711 babies. It peaked at #417 in 2023 and has been in the top 1,000 since 2019. It first appears in the records in 1912, as a boy name, and was the #679 boy name in 2025, with 400 babies.
- Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Girls year by year, 1976–2025 49 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 711 | 435 | ▼ 6 |
| 2024 | 718 | 429 | ▼ 12 |
| 2023 | 734 | 417 | ▲ 31 |
| 2022 | 700 | 448 | ▲ 58 |
| 2021 | 614 | 506 | ▲ 102 |
| 2020 | 480 | 608 | ▲ 141 |
| 2019 | 377 | 749 | ▲ 260 |
| 2018 | 257 | 1,009 | ▲ 181 |
| 2017 | 205 | 1,190 | ▲ 94 |
| 2016 | 188 | 1,284 | ▲ 141 |
| 2015 | 162 | 1,425 | ▲ 94 |
| 2014 | 144 | 1,519 | ▲ 577 |
| 2013 | 91 | 2,096 | ▲ 109 |
| 2012 | 85 | 2,205 | ▲ 490 |
| 2011 | 65 | 2,695 | ▼ 25 |
| 2010 | 67 | 2,670 | ▼ 311 |
| 2009 | 82 | 2,359 | ▲ 414 |
| 2008 | 65 | 2,773 | ▲ 323 |
| 2007 | 56 | 3,096 | ▼ 6 |
| 2006 | 54 | 3,090 | ▼ 225 |
| 2005 | 57 | 2,865 | ▲ 168 |
| 2004 | 51 | 3,033 | ▲ 258 |
| 2003 | 44 | 3,291 | ▼ 582 |
| 2002 | 56 | 2,709 | ▲ 99 |
| 2001 | 52 | 2,808 | ▲ 645 |
| 2000 | 38 | 3,453 | ▼ 305 |
| 1999 | 41 | 3,148 | ▲ 25 |
| 1998 | 39 | 3,173 | ▲ 275 |
| 1997 | 33 | 3,448 | ▲ 1,291 |
| 1996 | 21 | 4,739 | ▲ 107 |
| 1995 | 20 | 4,846 | ▲ 599 |
| 1994 | 17 | 5,445 | ▲ 2,607 |
| 1993 | 10 | 8,052 | ▼ 2,044 |
| 1992 | 15 | 6,008 | ▲ 1,979 |
| 1991 | 10 | 7,987 | ▼ 107 |
| 1990 | 10 | 7,880 | ▼ 431 |
| 1989 | 10 | 7,449 | ▼ 783 |
| 1988 | 11 | 6,666 | ▼ 331 |
| 1987 | 11 | 6,335 | ▲ 277 |
| 1986 | 10 | 6,612 | ▲ 951 |
| 1985 | 8 | 7,563 | ▼ 2,024 |
| 1984 | 12 | 5,539 | ▲ 673 |
| 1983 | 10 | 6,212 | ▲ 2,012 |
| 1982 | 7 | 8,224 | back (not recorded in 1981) |
| 1980 | 9 | 6,789 | ▲ 524 |
| 1979 | 8 | 7,313 | ▼ 365 |
| 1978 | 8 | 6,948 | ▼ 608 |
| 1977 | 9 | 6,340 | ▼ 292 |
| 1976 | 9 | 6,048 | new |
Boys year by year, 1912–2025 75 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 400 | 679 | ▼ 48 |
| 2024 | 442 | 631 | ▼ 1 |
| 2023 | 440 | 630 | ▲ 50 |
| 2022 | 400 | 680 | ▲ 34 |
| 2021 | 364 | 714 | ▲ 92 |
| 2020 | 288 | 806 | ▲ 119 |
| 2019 | 236 | 925 | ▲ 282 |
| 2018 | 155 | 1,207 | ▼ 58 |
| 2017 | 165 | 1,149 | ▲ 96 |
| 2016 | 149 | 1,245 | ▲ 38 |
| 2015 | 139 | 1,283 | ▲ 202 |
| 2014 | 109 | 1,485 | ▲ 139 |
| 2013 | 94 | 1,624 | ▲ 392 |
| 2012 | 69 | 2,016 | ▲ 245 |
| 2011 | 57 | 2,261 | ▼ 224 |
| 2010 | 67 | 2,037 | ▼ 248 |
| 2009 | 84 | 1,789 | ▲ 678 |
| 2008 | 51 | 2,467 | ▲ 401 |
| 2007 | 41 | 2,868 | ▼ 355 |
| 2006 | 48 | 2,513 | ▲ 188 |
| 2005 | 40 | 2,701 | ▼ 677 |
| 2004 | 59 | 2,024 | ▲ 483 |
| 2003 | 41 | 2,507 | ▲ 96 |
| 2002 | 37 | 2,603 | ▼ 83 |
| 2001 | 38 | 2,520 | ▲ 285 |
| 2000 | 32 | 2,805 | ▼ 295 |
| 1999 | 35 | 2,510 | ▲ 341 |
| 1998 | 28 | 2,851 | ▼ 455 |
| 1997 | 34 | 2,396 | ▲ 87 |
| 1996 | 31 | 2,483 | ▲ 73 |
| 1995 | 29 | 2,556 | ▲ 62 |
| 1994 | 28 | 2,618 | ▲ 883 |
| 1993 | 18 | 3,501 | ▲ 419 |
| 1992 | 15 | 3,920 | ▼ 107 |
| 1991 | 15 | 3,813 | ▼ 948 |
| 1990 | 22 | 2,865 | ▲ 229 |
| 1989 | 19 | 3,094 | ▼ 897 |
| 1988 | 28 | 2,197 | ▲ 875 |
| 1987 | 16 | 3,072 | ▲ 196 |
| 1986 | 14 | 3,268 | ▲ 1,430 |
| 1985 | 8 | 4,698 | ▼ 1,992 |
| 1984 | 17 | 2,706 | ▲ 206 |
| 1983 | 15 | 2,912 | ▲ 1,322 |
| 1982 | 9 | 4,234 | ▼ 1,336 |
| 1981 | 15 | 2,898 | ▼ 281 |
| 1980 | 18 | 2,617 | ▼ 152 |
| 1979 | 19 | 2,465 | ▲ 204 |
| 1978 | 16 | 2,669 | ▲ 717 |
| 1977 | 11 | 3,386 | ▲ 85 |
| 1976 | 10 | 3,471 | ▲ 1,993 |
| 1975 | 5 | 5,464 | ▼ 2,344 |
| 1974 | 11 | 3,120 | ▲ 574 |
| 1973 | 8 | 3,694 | ▼ 72 |
| 1972 | 8 | 3,622 | ▼ 252 |
| 1971 | 9 | 3,370 | back (not recorded in 1970) |
| 1969 | 7 | 3,595 | back (not recorded in 1967–1968) |
| 1966 | 6 | 3,537 | back (not recorded in 1964–1965) |
| 1963 | 5 | 4,048 | ▼ 15 |
| 1962 | 5 | 4,033 | back (not recorded in 1952–1961) |
| 1951 | 5 | 3,714 | ▼ 385 |
| 1950 | 6 | 3,329 | back (not recorded in 1943–1949) |
| 1942 | 7 | 2,940 | back (not recorded in 1941) |
| 1940 | 7 | 2,871 | back (not recorded in 1932–1939) |
| 1931 | 8 | 2,864 | back (not recorded in 1927–1930) |
| 1926 | 8 | 3,139 | back (not recorded in 1925) |
| 1924 | 8 | 3,260 | ▲ 979 |
| 1923 | 5 | 4,239 | ▼ 367 |
| 1922 | 6 | 3,872 | ▼ 355 |
| 1921 | 7 | 3,517 | ▲ 769 |
| 1920 | 5 | 4,286 | ▼ 1,171 |
| 1919 | 8 | 3,115 | ▼ 717 |
| 1918 | 12 | 2,398 | back (not recorded in 1917) |
| 1916 | 5 | 3,897 | ▼ 505 |
| 1915 | 6 | 3,392 | back (not recorded in 1913–1914) |
| 1912 | 5 | 2,544 | new |
Salem by state
Salem ranks #124 in West Virginia (2025).
Rank by state 36 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 124 | 12 |
| Kentucky | 165 | 27 |
| North Carolina | 171 | 60 |
| Kansas | 193 | 17 |
| Nevada | 196 | 13 |
| Arkansas | 231 | 13 |
| Missouri | 238 | 26 |
| Mississippi | 242 | 11 |
| Indiana | 258 | 27 |
| Georgia | 269 | 37 |
| Alabama | 283 | 17 |
| Oklahoma | 296 | 14 |
| Tennessee | 335 | 24 |
| Nebraska | 335 | 6 |
| Colorado | 337 | 18 |
| Ohio | 347 | 32 |
| Iowa | 390 | 8 |
| Idaho | 402 | 5 |
| South Carolina | 403 | 12 |
| Washington | 430 | 16 |
| Arizona | 477 | 14 |
| Louisiana | 477 | 9 |
| Virginia | 484 | 16 |
| Wisconsin | 484 | 10 |
| Maryland | 511 | 10 |
| Illinois | 515 | 19 |
| Michigan | 519 | 15 |
| Texas | 539 | 59 |
| Florida | 542 | 33 |
| Oregon | 548 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 558 | 19 |
| Utah | 605 | 6 |
| Minnesota | 659 | 7 |
| California | 662 | 47 |
| Massachusetts | 682 | 7 |
| New York | 1,312 | 10 |