Salem is a unisex name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Salem means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Salem across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Salem has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Salem is a unisex name of Hebrew origin meaning “peace”. From Hebrew shalom, also a place name.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 11,178 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 305 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 3 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Salem per year, United States (1912 to 2025). United States peaked in 2023 (1,174/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2023 (27/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2017 (3/yr).
Salem has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2023, when it ranked #564 nationally (given to 1,201 babies that year).
Salma · Psalm · Salome · Zulema · Sulema · Selim · Saleem · Salim
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →