Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Selam as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Selam

Add to my Name List

The baby name Selam is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /sɛˈlɑm/; respelling: seh-LAHM or SEH-lahm.

Selam is Amharic, Tigrinya in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Amharic, Tigrinya
Pronunciation: IPA: /sɛˈlɑm/; respelling: seh-LAHM or SEH-lahm

What is the meaning of the name Selam ?

The baby name Selam is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /sɛˈlɑm/; respelling: seh-LAHM or SEH-lahm.

Selam is Amharic, Tigrinya in Origin.

Selam is a Semitic name meaning “peace,” from the root S‑L‑M, shared with Arabic salam and Hebrew shalom. In Amharic and Tigrinya it is written ሰላም and also functions as a common greeting; Turkish selam (“hello”) reflects the same Arabic borrowing. The sense spans “peace, well-being, wholeness,” giving the name a calm, benevolent tone.

As a given name, Selam is widely used in Ethiopia and Eritrea - primarily feminine, though occasionally unisex - and has gained recognition in diaspora communities. Related forms and cognates include Selamawit and Selamnesh (Amharic feminine elaborations), Salam/Salaam (Arabic, usually masculine), Salim/Salima, Salama, and Salem, as well as Hebrew Shalom and the Greek-influenced Salome. Spelling is uniform across languages as Selam. The name appears in modern Ethiopian music, literature, and community life, and its clear meaning and cross-cultural familiarity make it an accessible, resonant choice.

Selam has the following similar or variant Names

Selam – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
ET Girls 0 #1 33 372
ET 0 #2 5 246
DJ Girls 0 #26 4 488
SD Girls 0 #44 1,184 7,678
AE Girls 0 #73 892 20,968
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
SD 0 #97 6 2,130
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
GE Girls 0 #108 1 1,564
KW Girls 0 #111 595 19,177
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
SA Girls 0 #116 2,005 25,931
KW 0 #120 2 5,216
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
Norway Girls 2002 #121 6 539
CY Girls 0 #123 3 3,755
IQ 0 #131 3 3,533
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
MT Girls 0 #146 8 3,773
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
MT Boys 0 #178 2 4,064
AE 0 #181 7 10,220
LU Girls 0 #188 3 4,850
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
QA Girls 0 #203 115 15,378
SI Boys 0 #208 4 3,402
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
AO Girls 0 #214 4 4,575
PS 0 #222 5 5,692
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
GR Girls 0 #231 12 6,293
AL Boys 0 #249 50 5,122
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
JP Girls 0 #250 2 6,592
GR Boys 0 #265 9 6,912
OM Girls 0 #272 125 15,987
PS Girls 0 #272 303 10,981
AF Boys 0 #274 1 3,535
IL 0 #280 3 6,291
SD Boys 0 #295 157 10,523
LB 0 #298 490 13,263
DK Girls 0 #302 15 7,429
SA 0 #307 6 10,560
CN Boys 0 #330 2 9,639
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
JO Girls 0 #336 4 7,570
Finland Girls 0 #340 52 1,368
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
YE 0 #348 34 8,639
CN Girls 0 #357 3 8,829
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
BH 0 #393 161 17,937
EG 0 #407 6 6,387
IL Girls 0 #416 210 11,648
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
PT Girls 0 #470 2 7,952
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
PS Boys 0 #480 69 10,655
IQ Girls 0 #493 12 11,303
LY 0 #513 23 12,703
RU Boys 0 #523 4 12,621
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
IL Boys 0 #573 35 10,983
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
IQ Boys 0 #599 69 13,071
NL Girls 0 #609 365 5,933
SG Girls 0 #631 2 18,916
TR 0 #675 862 19,440
QA Boys 0 #686 22 18,093
KW Boys 0 #693 77 18,755
CL Boys 0 #699 2 13,390
SY 0 #718 11 11,684
Finland Girls 2026 #732 7 3,895
SG Boys 0 #737 3 17,960
Germany Girls 0 #775 64 4,949
TN 0 #807 23 13,765
EG Girls 0 #826 134 14,742
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
OM Boys 0 #857 25 17,948
EG Boys 0 #861 26 15,035
NL Boys 0 #874 78 5,873
United States Girls 2024 #912 5 8,487
Spain Boys 0 #914 17 5,610
Germany Boys 0 #921 32 5,697
MA 0 #923 206 20,986
AE Boys 0 #973 120 22,615
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
IN Boys 0 #1,035 5 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,067 6 24,821
SA Boys 0 #1,088 586 28,008
ZA Girls 0 #1,089 53 25,928
DZ 0 #1,125 52 20,130
CO Girls 0 #1,152 1 16,140
MY Boys 0 #1,174 9 25,439
ZA Boys 0 #1,266 7 25,619
IT Girls 0 #1,333 114 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,415 57 10,046

Selam is popular in 60 countries — most recent births per country:

Norway
United States
AE
AF
AL

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

People also ask about Selam

Selam is predominantly a girl's name.
Selam is a 2 syllable name, pronounced IPA: /sɛˈlɑm/; respelling: seh-LAHM or SEH-lahm.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Salam, Salaam, Selamawit and Selamta.
Across languages, Selam has these equivalents: Salaam (Arabic), Salam (Persian/Turkish/Urdu), Shalom (Hebrew).
Yes — Selam ranked #121 in Norway in 2002, and appears in official birth registries across 3 countries.
Selam ranks highest in Norway (#121 in 2002).
Selam's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #131 in 1992 to #121 in 2002 in Norway.