Salma
Salma is an Arabic feminine name that means "peace.” It comes from the Arabic word Salam.
- Arabic
- Urdu
- Bengali
- Indonesian
Meaning & Origin of Salma
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Salma is an Arabic feminine name that means "peace.” It comes from the Arabic word Salam.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Arabic
- Urdu
- Bengali
- Indonesian
The Story of Salma
American parents first put Salma on the record books as a baby girl name in 1918, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 442 Salmas were born — ranking #569 that year. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 33% of all recorded Salmas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #833 among baby girl names with 328 births, holding steady (+3%). In total, more than 11K Salmas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Salma
Phonetically similar names — useful when Salma is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Salma
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About the name Salma
Salma is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 11K births in the dataset. Salma's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #569. Use the chart and map above to compare Salma's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1999 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.