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Salma as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Salma

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The baby name Salma is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈsælmə/ (SAL-muh); Arabic: /ˈsɑlmɑ/ (SAHL-mah).

Salma is Arabic in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Arabic
Pronunciation: /ˈsælmə/ (SAL-muh); Arabic: /ˈsɑlmɑ/ (SAHL-mah)

What is the meaning of the name Salma ?

The baby name Salma is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈsælmə/ (SAL-muh); Arabic: /ˈsɑlmɑ/ (SAHL-mah).

Salma is Arabic in Origin.

Salma is an Arabic feminine name (سلمى) from the triliteral root S-L-M, conveying safety, peace, and wholeness; it is often glossed as “safe, unharmed” or “peaceful.” It relates to the wider name family that includes Salīm/Salim (masculine) and Salīma/Salima (feminine). Common variants and transliterations include Salmah and Selma; Selma is widespread in Turkish, Bosnian, and Urdu usage, and in some contexts also overlaps with the Germanic/Scandinavian Selma (sometimes linked to Anselma or popularized by the Ossianic romances), giving the name a cross‑cultural profile.

Use is deep-rooted across the Arabic‑speaking world and the broader Islamic sphere - from the Maghreb to South Asia - appearing in classical poetry as a conventional beloved’s name. In the modern era it gained additional global visibility through figures such as Mexican‑Lebanese actor Salma Hayek, helping boost adoption in Europe and the Americas while remaining a traditional favorite in North Africa and the Middle East.

Salma has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Salma

Salma Hayek Actor · Born 1966 · United States Salma Hayek is a Mexican American actress and producer best known for films like Frida, Desperado, and From Dusk Till Dawn. She began her career in Mexico, starring in the telenovela Teresa and the film Midaq Alley before becoming an international star. Salma Agha Actor · Born 1956 · United Kingdom Salma Agha is best known for singing "Dil Ke Armaan" and for her role in the 1982 film Nikaah. She is a British singer and actress who worked in Indian and Pakistani films, especially during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Salma – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
SD Girls 0 #5 4,295 7,678
OM Girls 0 #7 1,749 15,987
BD Girls 0 #9 2,184 8,413
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
EG Girls 0 #10 76,979 14,742
BI 0 #12 1 425
SA Girls 0 #13 7,642 25,931
QA Girls 0 #14 791 15,378
MV Girls 0 #15 21 2,021
AE Girls 0 #16 2,025 20,968
ET Girls 0 #16 1 372
BF Girls 0 #17 1 315
DJ 0 #17 1 322
MV 0 #17 3 644
SD 0 #21 122 2,130
MA 0 #23 70,394 20,986
DJ Girls 0 #25 5 488
ET Boys 0 #27 1 678
BI Girls 0 #28 6 726
KW Girls 0 #31 1,244 19,177
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
EG 0 #41 2,222 6,387
AF Girls 0 #42 56 2,402
GE 0 #44 1 997
CM 0 #51 6 2,592
TN 0 #54 10,921 13,765
BD 0 #56 236 5,992
JO Girls 0 #58 1,213 7,570
LY 0 #59 1,496 12,703
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
OM 0 #67 51 6,215
AF 0 #68 9 1,883
IN 0 #70 2 2,963
QA 0 #72 29 7,011
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
KW 0 #87 30 5,216
ID Girls 0 #95 8 3,319
BN Girls 0 #97 10 5,459
TW 0 #102 2 4,523
GE Girls 0 #108 1 1,564
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
IQ 0 #112 18 3,533
SA 0 #113 206 10,560
AE 0 #114 64 10,220
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
JO 0 #115 23 2,158
Norway Girls 2025 #120 7 453
CY Girls 0 #122 4 3,755
Switzerland Girls 2024 #129 7 1,786
GR 0 #133 3 3,911
MU 0 #133 5 3,613
ID Boys 0 #134 2 4,130
SY 0 #134 1,977 11,684
PA 0 #136 3 3,797
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
EE Girls 0 #142 1 1,888
MT Girls 0 #148 6 3,773
Sweden Girls 2022 #151 29 1,568
Belgium Girls 2024 #154 32 424
PS Girls 0 #154 675 10,981
IQ Girls 0 #158 546 11,303
YE 0 #160 304 8,639
CR 0 #164 2 5,526
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
LU Girls 0 #176 10 4,850
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
EG Boys 0 #182 2,902 15,035
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
LB 0 #184 866 13,263
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
DK 0 #194 10 5,198
PS 0 #200 19 5,692
DZ 0 #202 3,933 20,130
France Girls 2021 #204 237 3,185
AO Girls 0 #216 2 4,575
BH 0 #218 412 17,937
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
Canada Girls 2024 #226 60 2,795
DK Girls 0 #229 89 7,429
IR 0 #229 3 4,221
BG Girls 0 #230 2 3,559
GR Girls 0 #230 13 6,293
GH 0 #231 13 5,396
NA Girls 0 #234 4 7,146
NG 0 #244 21 5,926
JP Girls 0 #245 7 6,592
IN Girls 0 #246 525 13,121
IL 0 #249 26 6,291
IL Girls 0 #250 545 11,648
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
TW Girls 0 #252 25 8,139
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
EC Girls 0 #256 3 3,650
MU Girls 0 #256 96 8,539
GH Girls 0 #259 66 6,973
MO Girls 0 #259 5 7,056
AF Boys 0 #268 7 3,535
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
NG Girls 0 #273 988 15,093
SG 0 #277 6 11,010
HR Girls 0 #293 2 3,687
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
MY 0 #297 34 12,352
MX 0 #303 112 8,339
JO Boys 0 #310 68 7,057
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
DK Boys 0 #330 3 7,401
KZ Girls 0 #330 3 5,862
CN Girls 0 #332 18 8,829
GT 0 #337 2 5,948
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
CM Girls 0 #344 206 11,671
CZ Girls 0 #345 7 5,378
Finland Girls 0 #345 47 1,368
Spain Girls 0 #348 1,148 5,561
GH Boys 0 #357 5 8,138
HK 0 #357 1 8,483
PL Girls 0 #358 7 5,096
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
MY Girls 0 #359 963 24,821
SD Boys 0 #361 85 10,523
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
PH Girls 0 #369 22 13,098
NL 0 #378 14 2,481
Austria Girls 0 #391 30 1,885
BO 0 #406 3 6,868
PH Boys 0 #406 3 11,440
Spain 0 #415 38 2,326
ZA 0 #423 25 14,421
MX Girls 0 #427 1,552 17,781
CL 0 #432 3 6,867
PT Girls 0 #434 18 7,952
BD Boys 0 #451 129 10,045
IR Girls 0 #451 80 8,334
CO 0 #469 12 7,768
PA Girls 0 #471 11 9,861
RU Girls 0 #471 28 11,913
Finland Girls 2026 #480 343 3,895
GT Girls 0 #483 23 7,500
SG Girls 0 #492 95 18,916
CR Girls 0 #508 25 11,342
PS Boys 0 #518 31 10,655
UY Girls 0 #530 7 6,731
CM Boys 0 #541 10 12,054
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
IR Boys 0 #561 5 10,162
BO Girls 0 #572 40 9,488
NL Girls 0 #577 409 5,933
AR Girls 0 #580 20 8,289
HK Girls 0 #582 34 16,104
IL Boys 0 #595 13 10,983
United States Girls 2024 #615 310 8,487
IQ Boys 0 #617 51 13,071
QA Boys 0 #637 71 18,093
KW Boys 0 #660 110 18,755
OM Boys 0 #684 198 17,948
SG Boys 0 #684 14 17,960
Germany Girls 0 #691 149 4,949
IT 0 #692 23 4,183
IT Girls 0 #698 1,050 9,415
CO Girls 0 #764 340 16,140
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
CL Girls 0 #806 46 14,098
ZA Girls 0 #859 288 25,928
Spain Boys 0 #882 49 5,610
United States Boys 2012 #882 5 7,390
PE Girls 0 #884 60 14,861
BR Girls 0 #885 57 12,708
NG Boys 0 #918 34 16,906
PE Boys 0 #926 1 14,506
SA Boys 0 #932 820 28,008
AE Boys 0 #937 156 22,615
TR 0 #945 273 19,440
IN Boys 0 #949 53 16,750
MX Boys 0 #967 16 16,355
CO Boys 0 #979 3 15,656
MY Boys 0 #1,074 38 25,439
ZA Boys 0 #1,165 14 25,619
IT Boys 0 #1,428 44 10,046

Salma is popular in 90 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Norway
Canada
Brussels, Belgium
Belgium

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Salma

Salma is predominantly a girl's name.
Salma is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈsælmə/ (SAL-muh); Arabic: /ˈsɑlmɑ/ (SAHL-mah).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Salmah, Salmā, Selma and Salima.
Yes, very popular — Salma ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 11 countries.
Salma ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Salma's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #136 in 2011 to #204 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 2 notable people named Salma are in our database, including Salma Hayek (Actor), Salma Agha (Actor).