Total births
6,491
Unisex name · since 1976
Salem
Salem has 6,491 recorded births since 1976 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2023 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #432
- among girls today
- 6,491
- born since 1976
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
6,491 babies have been named Salem since 1976, making it today's #432 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Salem recorded 6,491 times among girls since 1976, holding rank #432 nationally today, ahead of 98% of girls, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 2025.
- #432 among girls today
- 6,491 born since 1976
- 2020s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Salem is currently the #432 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 6,491 born since 1976, peaking in the 2020s.
- #432
- among girls today
- 6,491
- born since 1976
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Salem vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#432
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
61% of everyone ever named Salem was born in this single decade.
2023
Single peak year
734 babies were named Salem in 2023 - its busiest year on record.
How Salem compares
6,491 Top 11% higher than 89% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Salem's all-time total is 17x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Salem | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,491 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 734 | 48 | 19,840 |
Salem's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Salem's full recorded timeline at 2001, 94% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 6% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1982, with just 7 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2023 peak of 734 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Salem at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2023
Current rank
#432
Active since
1976
Salem popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 734
- Annual births at peak, across 50 years of records
Salem popularity over time - boys
4,687 total births recorded since 1912 (Salem as boys' name)
Salem by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Salem's strongest decade.
3,957 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 61% of all-time use.
Salem births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 34
1970s
34 births
- 1980s 88
1980s
88 births
- 1990s 216
1990s
216 births
- 2000s 555
2000s
555 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,641 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,957 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 3,957 births (61% of all-time use).
How Salem compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Salem's total volume
Salem vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Salem by state
Where Salem concentrates geographically, total births since 1976
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 628 | 9.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 552 | 8.5% |
| #3 | California | | 520 | 8.0% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 256 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 237 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Florida | | 209 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 197 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 177 | 2.7% |
North Carolina share of Salem's total US births 9.7%
Even split
628 of 6,491 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Salem appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Salem? ▼
6,491 babies have been named Salem since 1976. It currently ranks #432 among girls. The peak year was 2023 with 734 births.
When was Salem most popular? ▼
Salem was most popular in the 2020s decade with 3,957 total births. The single peak year was 2023.
Where is Salem most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Salem are North Carolina (628 births), Texas (552 births), California (520 births).
Is Salem a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Salem is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 6,491 births, and as a boy's name it has 4,687 births.
How long has the name Salem been used? ▼
Salem has been recorded in Social Security data since 1976, spanning 50 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Salem? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sally, Sallie, Salma, Salina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Salem's data
- North Carolina records the most Salems (628 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Salem
Nearby Names Like Salem
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Salem
Sally Girl
#1095 205,229 births
Sallie Girl
#5962 49,961 births
Salma Girl
#872 10,311 births
Salina Girl
#4678 7,239 births
Salena Girl
#7616 5,163 births
Compare Salem side by side: Salem vs Sally Salem vs Sallie Salem vs Salma
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Salem
Carolina #431
47,971 births · Peak 2004
Elisa #433
47,661 births · Peak 2012
Dorothy #430
1,112,231 births · Peak 1924
Xiomara #434
12,239 births · Peak 2023
Florence #429
339,093 births · Peak 1918
Reign #435
7,989 births · Peak 2021
Arleth #428
6,840 births · Peak 2025
Zariah #436
14,164 births · Peak 2023
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, 1976–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Salem: #432 Unisex Name - 6,491 Births, Peak 2023." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/salem. 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 Salem 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.