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Name Lineage

    The first name Salman

    A boy’s name from Arabic.

    2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Arabic origin

    Borrowed from Arabic سَلْمَان (salmān).

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 23 boys were named Salman, making it the 1,226th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2015, with 62 births (#597).

    03570 1996200020052010201520202025
    1,196
    babies named Salman, 1996–2025
    #1,226
    rank in 2025
    2015
    peak year

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

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Salman at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 54 boys born in the United States were named Salman, the 2,511th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2015, when 143 were.

    0100200 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    2,583
    babies named Salman since 1880
    #2,511
    rank in 2025
    2015
    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 Salman

    11 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Salman the Persian
      Companion of Muhammad; first Persian convert to Islam, 568–657
    • Salman Raduyev
      Chechen warlord (1967-2002)
    • Salman Isa
      Bahraini footballer, born 1977
    • Salman Mumtaz
      Azerbaijani poet (1884–1941)
    • Salman Gambarov
      Azerbaijani musician, born 1959
    • Salman Shah
      Bangladeshi actor, 1971–1996
    • Salman Alizade
      Boxer, born 1993
    • Salman Schocken
      Businessman, publisher art collector, persecuted by Nazis because Jewish (1877-1959)
    • Salman Sharida
      Bahraini footballer and manager, born 1968
    • Salman Nazar
      Canadian cricketer, born 1991
    • Sal Khan
      American educator (born 1976)

    More Arabic boys’ names

    All 218 names of Arabic origin

    Questions

    What does the name Salman mean?
    Borrowed from Arabic سَلْمَان (salmān).
    What is the origin of the name Salman?
    Borrowed from Arabic سَلْمَان (salmān).
    How popular is the name Salman?
    In 2025, 23 boys born in England and Wales were named Salman, ranking 1,226th. Its peak was 2015, with 62 births.
    Is Salman a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 2,583 US babies named Salman since 1880 were boys.
    When was Salman most popular?
    2015 in the United States, when 143 babies were named Salman, its highest rank at 1,264th.
    Is Salman also a surname?
    Yes. Salman is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.