Total births
205
Girls' name · since 1988
Selam
Selam has 205 recorded births since 1988 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1998 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #15928
- among girls today
- 205
- born since 1988
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 10%
- more common than other girls
205 babies have been named Selam since 1988, making it today's #15928 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Selam recorded 205 times among girls since 1988, holding rank #15928 nationally today, ahead of 10% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1988 to 2024.
- #15928 among girls today
- 205 born since 1988
- 2000s peak decade
- 10% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Selam is currently the #15928 girls' name in America, more common than 10% of girls - 205 born since 1988, peaking in the 2000s.
- #15928
- among girls today
- 205
- born since 1988
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 10%
- more common than other girls
Selam vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15928
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 10% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Selam was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
11 babies were named Selam in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Selam compares
205 37th percentile among 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
Selam's all-time total is 46% below the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Selam | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 205 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 11 | 48 | 19,840 |
Selam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Selam splits its recorded history at 2006: 52% of all births land in the more recent half, 48% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1990 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1998 peak of 11 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Selam at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#15,928
Active since
1988
Selam popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1988–2024
- Peak year (1998)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 37 years of records
Selam by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Selam's strongest decade.
67 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Selam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 1990s
1990s
54 births
- 2000s
2000s
67 births
- 2010s
2010s
59 births
- 2020s 19
2020s
19 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 67 births (33% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Selam? ▼
Selam has been given to 205 babies in the U.S. since 1988, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #15928 as of the latest data. 11 babies were born in 1998, its single highest year.
When was Selam most popular? ▼
Selam was most popular in the 2000s decade with 67 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
How long has the name Selam been used? ▼
Selam has been recorded in Social Security data since 1988, spanning 37 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Selam? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Selena, Selma, Selina, Selah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Selam's data
- Selam's decade-level peak was the 2000s (67 total births); usage has since declined to 19 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Selam
Nearby Names Like Selam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Selam
Selena Girl
#245 59,887 births
Selma Girl
#2776 26,881 births
Selina Girl
#1306 19,225 births
Selah Girl
#279 15,187 births
Selene Girl
#674 9,713 births
Compare Selam side by side: Selam vs Selena Selam vs Selma Selam vs Selina
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Selam
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1988–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Selam: #15928 Girls' Name - 205 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/selam. 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 Selam 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 July 2026.