Total births
416
Girls' name · since 1894
Salley
Since 1894, U.S. Social Security records show 416 babies named Salley, peaking in 1952. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 416
- total births
- 1894–1985
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
Salley sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 416 recorded since 1894.
Salley has 416 recorded births among girls since 1894, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1894 to 1985.
- 416 total births
- 1894–1985 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 22% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
416 girls have been named Salley since 1894, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 1985.
- 416
- total births
- 1894–1985
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Salley was born in this single decade.
1952
Single peak year
17 babies were named Salley in 1952 - its busiest year on record.
Salley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Salley splits its recorded history at 1944: 54% of all births land in the more recent half, 46% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1922 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1952 peak of 17 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Salley at a glance
Last recorded 1985Peak year
1952
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1894
Salley popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1894–1985
- Peak year (1952)
- 17
- Annual births at peak, across 92 years of records
Salley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Salley's strongest decade.
90 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Salley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1910s
1910s
46 births
- 1920s
1920s
44 births
- 1930s
1930s
59 births
- 1940s
1940s
85 births
- 1950s
1950s
90 births
- 1960s
1960s
47 births
- 1970s 31
1970s
31 births
- 1980s 8
1980s
8 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 90 births (22% of all-time use).
Salley by state
Where Salley concentrates geographically, total births since 1894
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | South Carolina | | 5 | 1.2% |
South Carolina share of Salley's total US births 1.2%
5 of 416 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Salley? ▼
416 babies have been named Salley since 1894. It was last recorded in 1985. The peak year was 1952 with 17 births.
When was Salley most popular? ▼
Salley was most popular in the 1950s decade with 90 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Salley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Salley are South Carolina (5 births).
How long has the name Salley been used? ▼
Records for Salley go back to 1894, giving 92 years of history through 1985.
What names are similar to Salley? ▼
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 Salley's data
- Salley's decade-level peak was the 1950s (90 total births); usage has since declined to 8 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- South Carolina records the most Salleys (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. South 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 Salley
Nearby Names Like Salley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Salley
Sally Girl
#1095 205,229 births
Sallie Girl
#5962 49,961 births
Salma Girl
#872 10,311 births
Salina Girl
#4678 7,239 births
Salem Girl
#432 6,491 births
Compare Salley side by side: Salley vs Sally Salley vs Sallie Salley vs Salma
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1894–1985 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Salley: Baby Name Since 1894 - 416 Births, Peak 1952." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/salley. 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 Salley 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.