Salim
Boy name · #2315 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Salim? In official American birth records, Salim has been tracked continuously since 1960, giving it 65 years of documented American history.
Salim ranks #2315 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 60 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2457, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 30,000 boys born in 2025 was named Salim.
Babies named Salim per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 65-year story
Salim first appears in the Social Security records in 1960, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 65 babies and a rank of #2188. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Salim against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Salim in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Salim is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Salim will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Salim is most common
State-level data for Salim is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Salim
Statistically, parents drawn to Salim tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Selim, Alim, Rahim, Qasim, and Saleem.
SelimAlimRahimQasimSaleemAsimEfraimSholom
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Salim | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 | #2304 |
| 2024 | 50 | #2637 |
| 2023 | 65 | #2188 |
| 2022 | 53 | #2563 |
| 2021 | 50 | #2588 |
| 2020 | 44 | #2759 |
| 2019 | 56 | #2394 |
| 2018 | 54 | #2417 |
| 2017 | 54 | #2388 |
| 2016 | 55 | #2365 |
| 2015 | 51 | #2457 |
| 2014 | 45 | #2661 |
| 2013 | 57 | #2250 |
| 2012 | 47 | #2594 |
| 2011 | 39 | #2950 |
| 2010 | 51 | #2429 |
| 2009 | 51 | #2486 |
| 2008 | 38 | #3057 |
| 2007 | 40 | #2920 |
| 2006 | 46 | #2578 |
| 2005 | 29 | #3389 |
| 2004 | 31 | #3158 |
| 2003 | 31 | #3044 |
| 2002 | 41 | #2428 |
| 2001 | 43 | #2306 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Salim?
In official American birth records, the name Salim first appeared in 1960 (over 65 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 65 years.
Is Salim a popular boy name?
Salim ranked #2315 among boys in 2025 with 60 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2457.
When was the name Salim most popular?
Salim peaked in 2023, when 65 American boys received the name (ranked #2188 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Salim?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 30,000 newborn American boys was named Salim. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.