The baby name Salem is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈseɪləm/ (SAY-ləm); Arabic variant often /saˈliːm/ (sa-LEEM).
The baby name Salem is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈseɪləm/ (SAY-ləm); Arabic variant often /saˈliːm/ (sa-LEEM).
Salem is in Origin.
Salem has dual roots in Semitic languages. In Hebrew, Shalem/Salem appears in the Bible as the realm of Melchizedek and is often identified with Jerusalem; it relates to shalom, conveying "peace," "wholeness," or "completion." In Arabic, Salim/Salem (and the adjective salim) means "safe, unharmed, sound." As a toponym, Salem was chosen by Puritans for several New England settlements to express a godly ideal of peace.
Usage spans cultures: as a masculine name in Arabic-speaking communities and Turkish (via Selim), and as a unisex given name and surname in English, sometimes derived from the place name - most famously Salem, Massachusetts. Variants and cognates include Shalem, Shalom, Salim/Saleem, Selim, Salima/Selima, and Salome. Modern English pronunciation varies (SAY-lem or SAH-lem). The name blends serene meaning with a spare, modern sound, while its historical layers lend depth without fixing it to one tradition.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LY | 0 | #7 | 6,350 | 12,703 | |
| ET | Girls | 0 | #16 | 1 | 372 |
| DJ | 0 | #17 | 1 | 322 | |
| YE | 0 | #23 | 1,661 | 8,639 | |
| DJ | Boys | 0 | #35 | 2 | 657 |
| AE | 0 | #42 | 159 | 10,220 | |
| KW | 0 | #45 | 75 | 5,216 | |
| KW | Boys | 0 | #51 | 3,038 | 18,755 |
| TN | 0 | #59 | 10,305 | 13,765 | |
| JO | Boys | 0 | #67 | 1,392 | 7,057 |
| AF | 0 | #71 | 6 | 1,883 | |
| IN | 0 | #71 | 1 | 2,963 | |
| AO | 0 | #73 | 5 | 2,729 | |
| SA | 0 | #75 | 299 | 10,560 | |
| MV | Boys | 0 | #77 | 3 | 3,375 |
| QA | 0 | #78 | 23 | 7,011 | |
| OM | 0 | #82 | 35 | 6,215 | |
| CN | 0 | #86 | 1 | 3,857 | |
| JO | 0 | #86 | 54 | 2,158 | |
| AF | Girls | 0 | #93 | 2 | 2,402 |
| SD | 0 | #97 | 6 | 2,130 | |
| TW | 0 | #103 | 1 | 4,523 | |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #109 | 3,949 | 22,615 |
| GE | Boys | 0 | #109 | 2 | 2,055 |
| PH | 0 | #110 | 1 | 5,607 | |
| IQ | 0 | #114 | 16 | 3,533 | |
| EG | Boys | 0 | #122 | 6,758 | 15,035 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #124 | 9,902 | 28,008 |
| CY | Boys | 0 | #129 | 3 | 3,473 |
| BN | Boys | 0 | #134 | 6 | 6,332 |
| ID | Boys | 0 | #135 | 1 | 4,130 |
| PA | 0 | #138 | 1 | 3,797 | |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #145 | 819 | 10,655 |
| RS | Boys | 0 | #148 | 7 | 2,277 |
| MT | Girls | 0 | #153 | 1 | 3,773 |
| MT | Boys | 0 | #154 | 23 | 4,064 |
| SY | 0 | #161 | 1,657 | 11,684 | |
| HU | Boys | 0 | #173 | 2 | 3,954 |
| QA | Boys | 0 | #174 | 888 | 18,093 |
| Sweden | Boys | 2022 | #181 | 2 | 1,509 |
| HR | 0 | #181 | 1 | 2,081 | |
| Sweden | Girls | 2021 | #182 | 2 | 1,666 |
| DZ | 0 | #183 | 4,537 | 20,130 | |
| PS | 0 | #197 | 22 | 5,692 | |
| AF | Boys | 0 | #203 | 69 | 3,535 |
| DK | 0 | #204 | 3 | 5,198 | |
| SI | Boys | 0 | #206 | 6 | 3,402 |
| IQ | Boys | 0 | #212 | 852 | 13,071 |
| AO | Girls | 0 | #214 | 4 | 4,575 |
| LU | Boys | 0 | #216 | 5 | 4,970 |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #216 | 1,260 | 17,948 |
| BG | Boys | 0 | #220 | 1 | 3,850 |
| NA | Boys | 0 | #226 | 10 | 6,830 |
| AL | Girls | 0 | #227 | 1 | 4,141 |
| IL | Boys | 0 | #230 | 603 | 10,983 |
| MO | Boys | 0 | #233 | 2 | 5,842 |
| BD | 0 | #234 | 8 | 5,992 | |
| SD | Boys | 0 | #236 | 248 | 10,523 |
| NA | Girls | 0 | #237 | 1 | 7,146 |
| AO | Boys | 0 | #241 | 9 | 5,568 |
| EC | Boys | 0 | #246 | 1 | 3,322 |
| GR | Girls | 0 | #249 | 1 | 6,293 |
| EG | 0 | #251 | 179 | 6,387 | |
| JP | Girls | 0 | #251 | 1 | 6,592 |
| GR | Boys | 0 | #253 | 15 | 6,912 |
| Canada | Girls | 2024 | #254 | 32 | 2,795 |
| TW | Boys | 0 | #254 | 3 | 7,111 |
| HR | Boys | 0 | #256 | 4 | 3,997 |
| IL | 0 | #263 | 12 | 6,291 | |
| NG | 0 | #265 | 8 | 5,926 | |
| SD | Girls | 0 | #265 | 81 | 7,678 |
| Canada | Boys | 2024 | #272 | 35 | 2,588 |
| SG | 0 | #282 | 1 | 11,010 | |
| QA | Girls | 0 | #287 | 30 | 15,378 |
| KZ | Boys | 0 | #288 | 9 | 6,578 |
| TW | Girls | 0 | #289 | 1 | 8,139 |
| DK | Boys | 0 | #290 | 36 | 7,401 |
| JM | Boys | 0 | #293 | 1 | 6,876 |
| JO | Girls | 0 | #297 | 29 | 7,570 |
| CZ | Boys | 0 | #301 | 5 | 6,530 |
| JP | Boys | 0 | #302 | 2 | 7,909 |
| LB | 0 | #302 | 477 | 13,263 | |
| BH | 0 | #306 | 260 | 17,937 | |
| CN | Boys | 0 | #306 | 14 | 9,639 |
| OM | Girls | 0 | #318 | 79 | 15,987 |
| KZ | Girls | 0 | #331 | 2 | 5,862 |
| PL | Boys | 0 | #336 | 5 | 6,459 |
| GT | 0 | #338 | 1 | 5,948 | |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #343 | 174 | 19,177 |
| MU | Boys | 0 | #346 | 12 | 8,477 |
| MY | 0 | #348 | 7 | 12,352 | |
| CZ | Girls | 0 | #351 | 1 | 5,378 |
| HK | 0 | #355 | 3 | 8,483 | |
| GH | Boys | 0 | #359 | 3 | 8,138 |
| France | Boys | 2021 | #361 | 27 | 2,865 |
| PL | Girls | 0 | #363 | 2 | 5,096 |
| United States | Girls | 2024 | #367 | 715 | 8,487 |
| MA | 0 | #369 | 1,681 | 20,986 | |
| AE | Girls | 0 | #376 | 178 | 20,968 |
| BD | Girls | 0 | #377 | 10 | 8,413 |
| PT | Boys | 0 | #380 | 2 | 7,951 |
| Finland | Boys | 0 | #384 | 44 | 2,041 |
| France | Girls | 2020 | #392 | 3 | 3,215 |
| PH | Boys | 0 | #400 | 9 | 11,440 |
| MX | 0 | #404 | 10 | 8,339 | |
| BO | 0 | #407 | 2 | 6,868 | |
| UY | Boys | 0 | #411 | 3 | 5,922 |
| Austria | Boys | 0 | #417 | 26 | 2,180 |
| PH | Girls | 0 | #425 | 5 | 13,098 |
| IR | Boys | 0 | #427 | 129 | 10,162 |
| CL | 0 | #433 | 2 | 6,867 | |
| PS | Girls | 0 | #476 | 48 | 10,981 |
| AR | Boys | 0 | #482 | 2 | 7,628 |
| IQ | Girls | 0 | #485 | 20 | 11,303 |
| RU | Boys | 0 | #494 | 12 | 12,621 |
| GT | Boys | 0 | #499 | 1 | 7,625 |
| PA | Boys | 0 | #499 | 7 | 9,305 |
| CR | Boys | 0 | #506 | 5 | 10,188 |
| BD | Boys | 0 | #509 | 68 | 10,045 |
| CO | 0 | #509 | 2 | 7,768 | |
| United States | Boys | 2024 | #512 | 440 | 7,044 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #515 | 455 | 25,931 |
| PA | Girls | 0 | #517 | 2 | 9,861 |
| RU | Girls | 0 | #522 | 2 | 11,913 |
| GT | Girls | 0 | #541 | 1 | 7,500 |
| IR | Girls | 0 | #541 | 5 | 8,334 |
| CM | Girls | 0 | #552 | 9 | 11,671 |
| HK | Boys | 0 | #553 | 5 | 12,905 |
| CM | Boys | 0 | #568 | 8 | 12,054 |
| CR | Girls | 0 | #572 | 2 | 11,342 |
| IL | Girls | 0 | #575 | 43 | 11,648 |
| BO | Boys | 0 | #619 | 4 | 9,244 |
| IN | Girls | 0 | #622 | 10 | 13,121 |
| AR | Girls | 0 | #629 | 2 | 8,289 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #629 | 4 | 18,916 |
| CL | Boys | 0 | #645 | 21 | 13,390 |
| BO | Girls | 0 | #647 | 5 | 9,488 |
| HK | Girls | 0 | #649 | 2 | 16,104 |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #649 | 49 | 17,960 |
| Finland | Boys | 2026 | #660 | 23 | 3,552 |
| IT | 0 | #695 | 20 | 4,183 | |
| BR | Boys | 0 | #740 | 12 | 12,213 |
| EG | Girls | 0 | #747 | 215 | 14,742 |
| NG | Girls | 0 | #756 | 31 | 15,093 |
| Germany | Boys | 0 | #791 | 162 | 5,697 |
| Spain | Boys | 0 | #805 | 126 | 5,610 |
| NL | Boys | 0 | #825 | 127 | 5,873 |
| CL | Girls | 0 | #829 | 23 | 14,098 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #835 | 117 | 16,906 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #846 | 269 | 25,439 |
| IT | Boys | 0 | #860 | 665 | 10,046 |
| PE | Boys | 0 | #863 | 16 | 14,506 |
| IN | Boys | 0 | #905 | 97 | 16,750 |
| CO | Boys | 0 | #906 | 15 | 15,656 |
| TR | 0 | #918 | 309 | 19,440 | |
| NL | Girls | 0 | #929 | 27 | 5,933 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #959 | 24 | 16,355 |
| Spain | Girls | 0 | #973 | 11 | 5,561 |
| BR | Girls | 0 | #991 | 2 | 12,708 |
| PE | Girls | 0 | #1,009 | 2 | 14,861 |
| CO | Girls | 0 | #1,060 | 19 | 16,140 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #1,065 | 8 | 24,821 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,126 | 16 | 25,928 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,141 | 38 | 25,619 |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #1,155 | 29 | 17,781 |
| IT | Girls | 0 | #1,412 | 35 | 9,415 |
Salem is popular in 84 countries — most recent births per country:
Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!