Salem
Girl name · #436 in 2025 · Uniqueness 39/100
In 2025, 711 baby girls were named Salem, placing it at #436 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1425, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,532 girls born in 2025 was named Salem.
The 49-year story
Salem first appears in the Social Security records in 1976, when 9 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 734 babies and a rank of #417. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Salem per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Salem against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Salem in class?
Salem scores 39 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Salem is most common
Geography matters for names, and Salem is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Salems were NC (60), TX (59), CA (47), GA (37), FL (33). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Salem
Statistically, parents drawn to Salem tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dream, Harlem, Sevyn, Jream, and Sunny.
DreamHarlemSevynJreamSunnySaigeSolanaTaytum
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Salem | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 711 | #435 |
| 2024 | 718 | #429 |
| 2023 | 734 | #417 |
| 2022 | 700 | #448 |
| 2021 | 614 | #506 |
| 2020 | 480 | #608 |
| 2019 | 377 | #749 |
| 2018 | 257 | #1009 |
| 2017 | 205 | #1190 |
| 2016 | 188 | #1284 |
| 2015 | 162 | #1425 |
| 2014 | 144 | #1519 |
| 2013 | 91 | #2096 |
| 2012 | 85 | #2205 |
| 2011 | 65 | #2695 |
| 2010 | 67 | #2670 |
| 2009 | 82 | #2359 |
| 2008 | 65 | #2773 |
| 2007 | 56 | #3096 |
| 2006 | 54 | #3090 |
| 2005 | 57 | #2865 |
| 2004 | 51 | #3033 |
| 2003 | 44 | #3291 |
| 2002 | 56 | #2709 |
| 2001 | 52 | #2808 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Salem a popular girl name?
Salem ranked #436 among girls in 2025 with 711 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #1425.
When was the name Salem most popular?
Salem peaked in 2023, when 734 American girls received the name (ranked #417 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Salem?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,532 newborn American girls was named Salem. It scores 39/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.