Total births
990
Unisex name · since 1972
Salah
990 babies named Salah in U.S. Social Security records since 1972, with the highest year being 2019. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3472
- among boys today
- 990
- born since 1972
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 76%
- more common than other boys
990 babies have been named Salah since 1972, making it today's #3472 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Salah recorded 990 times among boys since 1972, holding rank #3472 nationally today, ahead of 76% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1972 to 2025.
- #3472 among boys today
- 990 born since 1972
- 2010s peak decade
- 76% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Salah is currently the #3472 unisex name in America, more common than 76% of boys - 990 born since 1972, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3472
- among boys today
- 990
- born since 1972
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 76%
- more common than other boys
Salah vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3472
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 76% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Salah was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
49 babies were named Salah in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Salah compares
990 Top 31% higher than 69% 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
Salah's all-time total is 170% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Salah | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 990 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 49 | 23 | 22,252 |
Salah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Salah splits its recorded history at 2001: 75% of all births land in the more recent half, 25% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1973 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2019 peak of 49 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Salah at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2019
Current rank
#3,472
Active since
1972
Salah popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 49
- Annual births at peak, across 54 years of records
Salah popularity over time - girls
195 total births recorded since 2002 (Salah as girls' name)
Salah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Salah's strongest decade.
313 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Salah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 22
1970s
22 births
- 1980s 95
1980s
95 births
- 1990s 122
1990s
122 births
- 2000s
2000s
246 births
- 2010s
2010s
313 births
- 2020s
2020s
192 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 313 births (32% of all-time use).
How Salah 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 Salah's total volume
Salah vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Salah by state
Where Salah concentrates geographically, total births since 1972
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 52 | 5.3% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 22 | 2.2% |
| #3 | California | | 10 | 1.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 10 | 1.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 10 | 1.0% |
| #6 | Texas | | 10 | 1.0% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 6 | 0.6% |
New York share of Salah's total US births 5.3%
Even split
52 of 990 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Salah? ▼
990 babies have been named Salah since 1972. It currently ranks #3472 among boys. The peak year was 2019 with 49 births.
When was Salah most popular? ▼
Salah was most popular in the 2010s decade with 313 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Where is Salah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Salah are New York (52 births), Minnesota (22 births), California (10 births).
Is Salah a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Salah is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 990 births, and as a girl's name it has 195 births.
How long has the name Salah been used? ▼
Salah has been recorded in Social Security data since 1972, spanning 54 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Salah? ▼
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 Salah's data
- Salah's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (313 total births) through the 2020s (192) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Salahs (52 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 Salah
Nearby Names Like Salah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Salah
Salvatore Boy
#903 57,364 births
Salvador Boy
#719 49,605 births
Salem Boy
#632 4,687 births
Salomon Boy
#1856 3,864 births
Sal Boy
#6852 3,663 births
Compare Salah side by side: Salah vs Salvatore Salah vs Salvador Salah vs Salem
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Salah
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, 1972–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Salah: #3472 Unisex Name - 990 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/salah. 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 Salah 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.