Is Salem a boy or girl name?
Salem is used for both, more often for girls in the US. In 2024, 715 girls and 440 boys were named Salem, so 61.9% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 57.4% of the 10,058 US babies named Salem were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #634
- Girl rank, 2024
- #430
- Babies named Salem since 1912
- 10,058
- Most popular year
- 2023
- 1,174 babies
Boys and girls named Salem, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 36 | 0 | 0% |
| 1920s | 39 | 0 | 0% |
| 1930s | 8 | 0 | 0% |
| 1940s | 14 | 0 | 0% |
| 1950s | 11 | 0 | 0% |
| 1960s | 23 | 0 | 0% |
| 1970s | 97 | 34 | 26% |
| 1980s | 159 | 88 | 35.6% |
| 1990s | 255 | 216 | 45.9% |
| 2000s | 471 | 555 | 54.1% |
| 2010s | 1,240 | 1,640 | 56.9% |
| 2020s | 1,931 | 3,241 | 62.7% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 440 | #634 | 715 | #430 |
| 2023 | 440 | #630 | 734 | #417 |
| 2022 | 399 | #680 | 699 | #449 |
| 2021 | 364 | #715 | 614 | #506 |
| 2020 | 288 | #808 | 479 | #608 |
| 2019 | 236 | #926 | 377 | #749 |
| 2018 | 155 | #1,215 | 257 | #1,013 |
| 2017 | 165 | #1,152 | 204 | #1,196 |
| 2016 | 149 | #1,247 | 188 | #1,285 |
| 2015 | 139 | #1,286 | 162 | #1,433 |
| 2014 | 109 | #1,491 | 144 | #1,524 |
| 2013 | 94 | #1,632 | 91 | #2,103 |
| 2012 | 69 | #2,029 | 85 | #2,228 |
| 2011 | 57 | #2,281 | 65 | #2,720 |
| 2010 | 67 | #2,051 | 67 | #2,688 |
| 2009 | 84 | #1,796 | 82 | #2,373 |
| 2008 | 51 | #2,501 | 65 | #2,797 |
| 2007 | 41 | #2,912 | 56 | #3,120 |
| 2006 | 48 | #2,533 | 54 | #3,129 |
| 2005 | 40 | #2,745 | 57 | #2,900 |
| 2004 | 59 | #2,048 | 51 | #3,062 |
| 2003 | 41 | #2,542 | 44 | #3,340 |
| 2002 | 37 | #2,628 | 56 | #2,739 |
| 2001 | 38 | #2,558 | 52 | #2,841 |
| 2000 | 32 | #2,853 | 38 | #3,507 |
| 1999 | 35 | #2,548 | 41 | #3,180 |
| 1998 | 28 | #2,915 | 39 | #3,212 |
| 1997 | 34 | #2,436 | 33 | #3,525 |
| 1996 | 31 | #2,526 | 21 | #4,850 |
| 1995 | 29 | #2,612 | 20 | #4,983 |
| 1994 | 28 | #2,672 | 17 | #5,652 |
| 1993 | 18 | #3,627 | 10 | #8,561 |
| 1992 | 15 | #4,066 | 15 | #6,237 |
| 1991 | 15 | #3,975 | 10 | #8,464 |
| 1990 | 22 | #2,944 | 10 | #8,373 |
| 1989 | 19 | #3,185 | 10 | #7,906 |
| 1988 | 28 | #2,240 | 11 | #7,022 |
| 1987 | 16 | #3,172 | 11 | #6,682 |
| 1986 | 14 | #3,409 | 10 | #7,010 |
| 1985 | 8 | #5,064 | 8 | #8,143 |
| 1984 | 17 | #2,797 | 12 | #5,810 |
| 1983 | 15 | #3,049 | 10 | #6,602 |
| 1982 | 9 | #4,519 | 7 | #8,985 |
| 1981 | 15 | #3,002 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 18 | #2,706 | 9 | #7,261 |
| 1979 | 19 | #2,544 | 8 | #7,871 |
| 1978 | 16 | #2,772 | 8 | #7,483 |
| 1977 | 11 | #3,566 | 9 | #6,750 |
| 1976 | 10 | #3,672 | 9 | #6,472 |
| 1975 | 5 | #6,173 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 11 | #3,286 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 8 | #3,993 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 8 | #3,901 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 9 | #3,605 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 7 | #3,874 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 6 | #3,878 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 5 | #4,527 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 5 | #4,528 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 5 | #4,166 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 6 | #3,626 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 7 | #3,172 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 7 | #3,090 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 8 | #3,056 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 8 | #3,338 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 8 | #3,458 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 5 | #4,785 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 6 | #4,238 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 7 | #3,813 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 5 | #4,860 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 8 | #3,339 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 12 | #2,516 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 5 | #4,416 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 6 | #3,762 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1912 | 5 | #2,848 | 0 | – |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Salem reached #630 in 2023. As a girl name, it reached #417 in 2023. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 2020s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Salem
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.