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Girl & boy name

Salem

Salem holds the #435 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular girl names in the U.S. That amounts to 711 newborn girls in a single year. The name is on the way up, moving from #608 in 2020 to #435 today. Its strongest year on record was 2023 (#417 nationally, 734 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1976. The name's biggest fan base is in West Virginia (#124 there in 2025).

Rankings

2025 rank
#435
among girl names
Trend
Rising
last 5 years
All-time peak
#417
in 2023 (2020s)
Babies in 2025
711
girls named Salem

Salem popularity, 1880–2025

0.012%0.025%0.037%0.049%18801900192019401960198020002020#417 in 2023
Girls — share of U.S. female birthsBoys — share of U.S. male birthsSource: SSA, 1880–2025◆ peak 2023

Where Salem is most popular

Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025AK—Maine: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025ME—Vermont: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025VT—New Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025NH—Washington: #430 (16 girls, 0.06% of girls born 2025)WA#430Idaho: #402 (5 girls, 0.07% of girls born 2025)ID#402Montana: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025MT—North Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025ND—Minnesota: #659 (7 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)MN#659Wisconsin: #484 (10 girls, 0.05% of girls born 2025)WI#484Michigan: #519 (15 girls, 0.04% of girls born 2025)MI#519New York: #1312 (10 girls, 0.01% of girls born 2025)NY#1312Massachusetts: #682 (7 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)MA#682Rhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025RI—Oregon: #548 (6 girls, 0.05% of girls born 2025)OR#548Nevada: #196 (13 girls, 0.14% of girls born 2025)NV#196Wyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025WY—South Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025SD—Iowa: #390 (8 girls, 0.07% of girls born 2025)IA#390Illinois: #515 (19 girls, 0.04% of girls born 2025)IL#515Indiana: #258 (27 girls, 0.10% of girls born 2025)IN#258Ohio: #347 (32 girls, 0.07% of girls born 2025)OH#347Pennsylvania: #558 (19 girls, 0.04% of girls born 2025)PA#558New Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025NJ—Connecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025CT—California: #662 (47 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)CA#662Utah: #605 (6 girls, 0.04% of girls born 2025)UT#605Colorado: #337 (18 girls, 0.08% of girls born 2025)CO#337Nebraska: #335 (6 girls, 0.08% of girls born 2025)NE#335Missouri: #238 (26 girls, 0.11% of girls born 2025)MO#238Kentucky: #165 (27 girls, 0.16% of girls born 2025)KY#165West Virginia: #124 (12 girls, 0.24% of girls born 2025)WV#124Virginia: #484 (16 girls, 0.05% of girls born 2025)VA#484Maryland: #511 (10 girls, 0.05% of girls born 2025)MD#511Delaware: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025DE—Arizona: #477 (14 girls, 0.05% of girls born 2025)AZ#477New Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025NM—Kansas: #193 (17 girls, 0.14% of girls born 2025)KS#193Arkansas: #231 (13 girls, 0.12% of girls born 2025)AR#231Tennessee: #335 (24 girls, 0.07% of girls born 2025)TN#335North Carolina: #171 (60 girls, 0.13% of girls born 2025)NC#171South Carolina: #403 (12 girls, 0.07% of girls born 2025)SC#403District of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025DC—Oklahoma: #296 (14 girls, 0.09% of girls born 2025)OK#296Louisiana: #477 (9 girls, 0.06% of girls born 2025)LA#477Mississippi: #242 (11 girls, 0.12% of girls born 2025)MS#242Alabama: #283 (17 girls, 0.09% of girls born 2025)AL#283Georgia: #269 (37 girls, 0.08% of girls born 2025)GA#269Hawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Salem in 2025HI—Texas: #539 (59 girls, 0.04% of girls born 2025)TX#539Florida: #542 (33 girls, 0.04% of girls born 2025)FL#542
Share of girls born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: West Virginia (#124), Kentucky (#165), Kansas (#193)

Uniqueness score

38/ 100Very common
everywhereone of a kind

A familiar pick that most people will recognize instantly. Based on how many babies per birth were named Salem in the most recent year of SSA data.

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Salem as a boy name

Salem is currently the #679 boy name in the United States, based on 2025 Social Security data. In raw numbers: 400 babies. Momentum is clearly positive: five years ago it ranked #806, now it sits at #679. Looking at the full record since 1912, Salem hit its all-time high of #630 in 2023, when 440 boys were given the name. State by state, West Virginia leads the way at #183.

2025 rank
#679
among boy names
Trend
Rising
last 5 years
All-time peak
#630
in 2023 (2020s)
Babies in 2025
400
boys named Salem

Where Salem (boys) is most popular

Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025AK—Maine: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025ME—Vermont: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025VT—New Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025NH—Washington: #684 (9 boys, 0.03% of boys born 2025)WA#684Idaho: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025ID—Montana: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025MT—North Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025ND—Minnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025MN—Wisconsin: #785 (5 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)WI#785Michigan: #715 (10 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)MI#715New York: #1297 (8 boys, 0.01% of boys born 2025)NY#1297Massachusetts: #789 (5 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)MA#789Rhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025RI—Oregon: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025OR—Nevada: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025NV—Wyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025WY—South Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025SD—Iowa: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025IA—Illinois: #805 (10 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)IL#805Indiana: #412 (17 boys, 0.05% of boys born 2025)IN#412Ohio: #500 (21 boys, 0.04% of boys born 2025)OH#500Pennsylvania: #742 (11 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)PA#742New Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025NJ—Connecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025CT—California: #884 (26 boys, 0.01% of boys born 2025)CA#884Utah: #561 (7 boys, 0.04% of boys born 2025)UT#561Colorado: #756 (6 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)CO#756Nebraska: #432 (5 boys, 0.06% of boys born 2025)NE#432Missouri: #789 (6 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)MO#789Kentucky: #375 (13 boys, 0.06% of boys born 2025)KY#375West Virginia: #183 (10 boys, 0.16% of boys born 2025)WV#183Virginia: #727 (9 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)VA#727Maryland: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025MD—Delaware: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025DE—Arizona: #594 (11 boys, 0.03% of boys born 2025)AZ#594New Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025NM—Kansas: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025KS—Arkansas: #444 (7 boys, 0.06% of boys born 2025)AR#444Tennessee: #477 (16 boys, 0.04% of boys born 2025)TN#477North Carolina: #512 (19 boys, 0.04% of boys born 2025)NC#512South Carolina: #608 (7 boys, 0.03% of boys born 2025)SC#608District of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025DC—Oklahoma: #464 (9 boys, 0.05% of boys born 2025)OK#464Louisiana: #487 (9 boys, 0.05% of boys born 2025)LA#487Mississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025MS—Alabama: #450 (11 boys, 0.05% of boys born 2025)AL#450Georgia: #519 (20 boys, 0.04% of boys born 2025)GA#519Hawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Salem in 2025HI—Texas: #661 (45 boys, 0.03% of boys born 2025)TX#661Florida: #809 (18 boys, 0.02% of boys born 2025)FL#809
Share of boys born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: West Virginia (#183), Kentucky (#375), Nebraska (#432)

Uniqueness score

46/ 100Balanced
everywhereone of a kind

Well known, but far from crowded — the middle of the field. Based on how many babies per birth were named Salem in the most recent year of SSA data.

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