Total births
3,663
Boys' name · since 1909
Sal
3,663 babies named Sal in U.S. Social Security records since 1909, with the highest year being 1958. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6852
- among boys today
- 3,663
- born since 1909
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other boys
3,663 babies have been named Sal since 1909, making it today's #6852 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sal has been recorded 3,663 times among boys since 1909, currently ranked #6852 nationally and more common than 52% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.
- #6852 among boys today
- 3,663 born since 1909
- 1960s peak decade
- 52% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sal is currently the #6852 boys' name in America, more common than 52% of boys - 3,663 born since 1909, peaking in the 1960s.
- #6852
- among boys today
- 3,663
- born since 1909
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other boys
Sal vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6852
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 52% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Sal was born in this single decade.
1958
Single peak year
114 babies were named Sal in 1958 - its busiest year on record.
How Sal compares
3,663 Top 15% higher than 85% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Sal's all-time total is 10x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sal | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,663 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 114 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sal's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sal's full recorded timeline at 1967, 32% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 68% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2007, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1958 peak of 114 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sal at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1958
Current rank
#6,852
Active since
1909
Sal popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (1958)
- 114
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Sal by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Sal's strongest decade.
759 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Sal births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 8
1900s
8 births
- 1910s 158
1910s
158 births
- 1920s 274
1920s
274 births
- 1930s
1930s
405 births
- 1940s
1940s
529 births
- 1950s
1950s
531 births
- 1960s
1960s
759 births
- 1970s
1970s
328 births
- 1980s 203
1980s
203 births
- 1990s 211
1990s
211 births
- 2000s 123
2000s
123 births
- 2010s 65
2010s
65 births
- 2020s 69
2020s
69 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 759 births (21% of all-time use).
How Sal compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Sal's total volume
Sal vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sal by state
Where Sal concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,430 | 39.0% |
| #2 | California | | 677 | 18.5% |
| #3 | New Jersey | | 190 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Texas | | 17 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Connecticut | | 10 | 0.3% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 10 | 0.3% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 7 | 0.2% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 6 | 0.2% |
New York share of Sal's total US births 39.0%
Even split
1,430 of 3,663 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Sal appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sal? ▼
3,663 babies have been named Sal since 1909. It currently ranks #6852 among boys. The peak year was 1958 with 114 births.
When was Sal most popular? ▼
Sal was most popular in the 1960s decade with 759 total births. The single peak year was 1958.
Where is Sal most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sal are New York (1,430 births), California (677 births), New Jersey (190 births).
How long has the name Sal been used? ▼
Records for Sal go back to 1909, giving 117 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sal? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Salvatore, Salvador, Salem, Salomon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sal's data
- Sal's decade-level peak was the 1960s (759 total births); usage has since declined to 69 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Sals (1,430 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sal
Nearby Names Like Sal
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sal
Salvatore Boy
#903 57,364 births
Salvador Boy
#719 49,605 births
Salem Boy
#632 4,687 births
Salomon Boy
#1856 3,864 births
Salman Boy
#2067 2,583 births
Compare Sal side by side: Sal vs Salvatore Sal vs Salvador Sal vs Salem
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sal
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1909–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sal: #6852 Boys' Name - 3,663 Births, Peak 1958." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sal. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Sal draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.