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Name Lineage

    The first name Salah

    A unisex name from Arabic meaning “prayer”, “righteousness”.

    2 syllables Unisex Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Arabic origin

    Salah means “prayer”, “righteousness” in Arabic.

    As an Islamic/Arabic surname, as well as a Jewish adoption of it, from صَلاة (ṣalāh, “prayer”) or صَلاح (ṣalāḥ, “righteousness”).

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 17 boys were named Salah, making it the 1,538th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2018, with 30 births (#958).

    01530 1996200020052010201520202025
    394
    babies named Salah, 1996–2025
    #1,538
    rank in 2025
    2018
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Salah with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Salah at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 36 boys born in the United States were named Salah, the 3,300th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2019, when 49 were.

    02550 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    1,185
    babies named Salah since 1880
    #3,300
    rank in 2025
    2019
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Salah

    12 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Mohamed Salah
      Egyptian association football player (born 1992)
    • Salah Assad
      Algerian footballer, born 1958
    • Salah Zulfikar
      Egyptian actor and producer (1926–1993)
    • Salah Abu Seif
      Egyptian film director (1915–1996)
    • Salah Abdel Sabour
      Egyptian poet, 1931–1981
    • Salah Jahin
      Egyptian poet and cartoonist (1930–1986)
    • Salah Bakour
      Algerian footballer, born 1982
    • Salah Mohamed Samadi
      Algerian footballer, born 1976
    • Salah Bouchekriou
      Algerian handball player, born 1962
    • Salah Eddine Mraouni
      Cyclist, born 1992
    • Syed Kamall
      British politician (born 1967)
    • Saleh Qojil
      Algerian politician (born 1931)

    More Arabic unisex names

    All 218 names of Arabic origin

    Questions

    What does the name Salah mean?
    Salah means “prayer”, “righteousness” in Arabic.
    What is the origin of the name Salah?
    As an Islamic/Arabic surname, as well as a Jewish adoption of it, from صَلاة (ṣalāh, “prayer”) or صَلاح (ṣalāḥ, “righteousness”).
    How popular is the name Salah?
    In 2025, 17 boys born in England and Wales were named Salah, ranking 1,538th. Its peak was 2018, with 30 births.
    Is Salah a boy's or a girl's name?
    Both. Of the 1,185 US babies named Salah since 1880, 16% were girls and 84% boys.
    When was Salah most popular?
    2019 in the United States, when 49 babies were named Salah, its highest rank at 2,652nd.
    Is Salah also a surname?
    Yes. Salah is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.