Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Salih

    A boy’s name from Arabic meaning “pious”.

    2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Arabic origin

    Salih means “pious” in Arabic.

    Borrowed from Arabic صَالِح (ṣāliḥ, literally “pious”).

    More names that mean holy.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 13 boys were named Salih, making it the 1,897th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2019, with 16 births (#1,506).

    01020 1996200020052010201520202025
    273
    babies named Salih, 1996–2025
    #1,897
    rank in 2025
    2019
    peak year

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

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Salih at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 22 boys born in the United States were named Salih, the 4,678th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2017, when 28 were.

    01530 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    587
    babies named Salih since 1880
    #4,678
    rank in 2025
    2017
    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.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Salih

    16 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Salih ibn Ali
      Abbasid governor and general (711-769)
    • Salih ibn Tarif
      Amazigh (Berber) king, born 728
    • Salih ibn Mirdas
      Emir of Aleppo, 952–1029
    • Salih I ibn Mansur
      Founder of the Kingdom of Nekor
    • Salih bin Abdullah al Humaid
      Former President of the Saudi Shoura Council and the Former Chairman of the Supreme Judici, born 1947
    • Saleh Kebzabo
      Chadian politician, born 1947
    • Salah Larbès
      Algerian footballer (1952–2024)
    • Saleh Gomaa
      Egyptian association football player, born 1993
    • Saleh Soliman
      Egyptian weightlifter, born 1916
    • Salem Saleh
      Emirati chess player, born 1993
    • Ahmed Qaid Saleh
      Algerian military officer (1940–2019)
    • Saleh Selim
      Egyptian footballer and actor (1930–2002)

    More Arabic boys’ names

    All 218 names of Arabic origin

    Questions

    What does the name Salih mean?
    Salih means “pious” in Arabic.
    What is the origin of the name Salih?
    Borrowed from Arabic صَالِح (ṣāliḥ, literally “pious”).
    How popular is the name Salih?
    In 2025, 13 boys born in England and Wales were named Salih, ranking 1,897th. Its peak was 2019, with 16 births.
    Is Salih a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 587 US babies named Salih since 1880 were boys.
    When was Salih most popular?
    2017 in the United States, when 28 babies were named Salih, its highest rank at 3,870th.
    What are other spellings of Salih?
    Saleh.
    Is Salih also a surname?
    Yes. Salih is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.