Total births
10,311
Girls' name · since 1918
Salma
Salma has 10,311 recorded births since 1918 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1999 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #872
- among girls today
- 10,311
- born since 1918
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Salma currently ranks #872 among girls' names in America, with 10,311 babies recorded since 1918.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Salma has been recorded 10,311 times among girls since 1918, currently ranked #872 nationally and more common than 95% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2025.
- #872 among girls today
- 10,311 born since 1918
- 2000s peak decade
- 95% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Salma is currently the #872 girls' name in America, more common than 95% of girls - 10,311 born since 1918, peaking in the 2000s.
- #872
- among girls today
- 10,311
- born since 1918
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Salma vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#872
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 95% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Salma was born in this single decade.
1999
Single peak year
442 babies were named Salma in 1999 - its busiest year on record.
How Salma compares
10,311 Top 9% higher than 91% 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
Salma's all-time total is 27x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Salma | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,311 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 442 | 48 | 19,840 |
Salma's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Salma's full recorded timeline at 1999, 87% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 13% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1977, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1999 peak of 442 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Salma at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1999
Current rank
#872
Active since
1918
Salma popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2025
- Peak year (1999)
- 442
- Annual births at peak, across 108 years of records
Salma popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 2012 (Salma as boys' name)
Salma by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Salma's strongest decade.
3,488 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Salma births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1970s 59
1970s
59 births
- 1980s 178
1980s
178 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,535 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,488 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,321 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,724 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 3,488 births (34% of all-time use).
How Salma 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 Salma's total volume
Salma vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Salma by state
Where Salma concentrates geographically, total births since 1918
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,888 | 18.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,335 | 12.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 877 | 8.5% |
| #4 | Florida | | 592 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Minnesota | | 581 | 5.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 504 | 4.9% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 377 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 310 | 3.0% |
California share of Salma's total US births 18.3%
Even split
1,888 of 10,311 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 32 reporting states.
Salma appears in 32 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Salma? ▼
Since 1918, Social Security records show 10,311 babies named Salma. Today it holds rank #872 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1999, with 442 births.
When was Salma most popular? ▼
Salma was most popular in the 2000s decade with 3,488 total births. The single peak year was 1999.
Where is Salma most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Salma are California (1,888 births), Texas (1,335 births), New York (877 births).
How long has the name Salma been used? ▼
Salma has been recorded in Social Security data since 1918, spanning 108 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Salma? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sally, Sallie, Salina, Salem, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Salma's data
- Salma's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (3,488 total births) through the 2020s (1,724) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Salmas (1,888 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Salma
Nearby Names Like Salma
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Salma
Sally Girl
#1095 205,229 births
Sallie Girl
#5962 49,961 births
Salina Girl
#4678 7,239 births
Salem Girl
#432 6,491 births
Salena Girl
#7616 5,163 births
Compare Salma side by side: Salma vs Sally Salma vs Sallie Salma vs Salina
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Salma
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, 1918–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Salma: #872 Girls' Name - 10,311 Births, Peak 1999." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/salma. 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 Salma 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.