Given name & surname
Selam
“she is peaceful”
Selam is used as a given name and a surname. One African interpretation is “she is peaceful.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One African interpretation is “she is peaceful.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is African.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1988. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Selam through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 205
- 0 boys · 205 girls
- Most popular year
- 1998
- 11 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −52%
- Cooling
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 11 in 1998. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,103 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Selam’s family of names
Selam has a related form in Selamawit. Selam has a related form in Sellam.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Selam, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sesen
“one who longs for more”
>99% girls
Sisi
“born on a Sunday”
>99% girls
Halla
“an unexpected gift”
>99% girls
Sharik
“one who is a child of God”
>99% girls
Subira
“one who is patient”
>99% girls
Akia
“the firstborn child”
>99% girls
Tapanga
“one who is sweet and unpredictable”
>99% girls
Nini
“as solid as a stone”
>99% girls