Salem - A very unique male name
Salem at a glance
Salem is ranked #691 among boy baby names in 2025, with 350 births in 2025. It peaked in 2023 at #626 and first appeared on the charts in 1979.
- Rank in 2025
- #691
- Births in 2025
- 350
- Peak year
- 2023 (#626)
- First appeared
- 1979
- Trend
- #835 in 2020 → #691 in 2025 (Rising)
- Popularity
- 1 in 4,189 boys
- Visitor rating
- 4.8/5 (44 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 4,189 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Salem peaked in popularity 3 years ago in 2023 on position 626.
Famous with this name
Lyes Salem
Samer Salem
Dahlia Salem
How would you rate Salem, 1-5?
Salem is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Salem is currently topping the baby name charts in West Virginia at position #194 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,383.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Salem is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Salem origin and meaning
Biblical place name, Hebrew and Arabic root
From the ancient place name Salem, from the Semitic root for 'peace' — Salem is named in Genesis as Melchizedek's city and is traditionally linked with Jerusalem
Salem is a biblical place name carried by many American towns, most famously the Massachusetts Salem of the 1692 witch trials. As a boy's name it dates from 1979 in the recent data and peaked in 2023.
Attested etymology
Salem is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Salem, pop culture references for the name Salem and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Salem
We've found the following names that sound similar to Salem, sorted by popularity.
Solomon / Shlomo / Salomon / Shalom / Salman / Shulem / Sholom / Saleem / Sulaiman / Salim /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 691 |
| 2024 | 646 |
| 2023 | 626 |
| 2022 | 683 |
| 2021 | 701 |
| 2020 | 835 |
| 2019 | 927 |
| 2018 | 1321 |
| 2017 | 1161 |
| 2016 | 1359 |
| 2015 | 1347 |
| 2014 | 1764 |
| 2013 | 1813 |
| 2012 | 2342 |
| 2011 | 3162 |
| 2010 | 2186 |
| 2009 | 2401 |
| 2008 | 3329 |
| 2007 | 4335 |
| 2006 | 3663 |
| 2005 | 3103 |
| 2004 | 2812 |
| 2003 | 3136 |
| 2002 | 3301 |
| 2001 | 2741 |
| 1999 | 2592 |
| 1997 | 3048 |
| 1994 | 3555 |
| 1993 | 2735 |
| 1979 | 2340 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | 194 |
| Kentucky | 401 |
| Indiana | 427 |
| Alabama | 477 |
| Arkansas | 483 |
| Tennessee | 498 |
| Oklahoma | 498 |
| Nebraska | 501 |
| Ohio | 510 |
| Louisiana | 526 |
| North Carolina | 535 |
| Georgia | 537 |
| Utah | 609 |
| Arizona | 622 |
| South Carolina | 660 |
| Texas | 667 |
| Washington | 724 |
| Michigan | 762 |
| Pennsylvania | 783 |
| Virginia | 784 |
| Colorado | 832 |
| Florida | 840 |
| Missouri | 854 |
| Illinois | 861 |
| Wisconsin | 869 |
| Massachusetts | 881 |
| California | 902 |
| New York | 1383 |
Even more about Salem
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Salem a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Salem?
2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
SAY-lem · /ˈseɪləm/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Famous bearers
- Salem Saberhagen — The talking cat — a warlock sentenced to feline form — in Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Fictional, 1996) Fictional
Style
Place nameBiblical
Why parents choose it
Salem offers 'peace' in a dark, atmospheric package — parents like the tension between its gentle root meaning and its moody New England aura.
Worth knowing
- The witch trials are the dominant association for most Americans
