Salma
Girl name · #936 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Salma? In official American birth records, Salma has been tracked continuously since 1918, giving it 107 years of documented American history.
Salma is currently the #936 girl name in the United States — 278 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #802, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,475 girls born in 2025 was named Salma.
The 107-year story
Salma first appears in the Social Security records in 1918, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1999, when 442 girls were named Salma — good for #569 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Salma per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Salma against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Salma in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Salma is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Salma will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Salma is most common
Geography matters for names, and Salma is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Salma is most common in MN (0.9 per 1,000), MD (0.6 per 1,000), FL (0.4 per 1,000), WA (0.3 per 1,000), IL (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Salma is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Salma
Statistically, parents drawn to Salma tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Zaria, Skyla, Kaiya, Paloma, and Anika.
ZariaSkylaKaiyaPalomaAnikaSarahiAkiraSkyler
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Salma | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 278 | #936 |
| 2024 | 310 | #871 |
| 2023 | 295 | #905 |
| 2022 | 311 | #895 |
| 2021 | 290 | #919 |
| 2020 | 240 | #1046 |
| 2019 | 289 | #916 |
| 2018 | 340 | #801 |
| 2017 | 362 | #765 |
| 2016 | 385 | #738 |
| 2015 | 351 | #802 |
| 2014 | 309 | #883 |
| 2013 | 324 | #825 |
| 2012 | 348 | #785 |
| 2011 | 313 | #842 |
| 2010 | 300 | #883 |
| 2009 | 360 | #784 |
| 2008 | 332 | #848 |
| 2007 | 349 | #822 |
| 2006 | 362 | #758 |
| 2005 | 358 | #749 |
| 2004 | 309 | #812 |
| 2003 | 377 | #692 |
| 2002 | 318 | #759 |
| 2001 | 364 | #684 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Salma?
In official American birth records, the name Salma first appeared in 1918 (over 107 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 107 years.
Is Salma a popular girl name?
Salma ranked #936 among girls in 2025 with 278 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #802.
When was the name Salma most popular?
Salma peaked in 1999, when 442 American girls received the name (ranked #569 that year). Since 1999 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Salma?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,475 newborn American girls was named Salma. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.