Given name & surname
Selim
“one who is peaceful”
Selim is a variant of Salim. One Arabic interpretation is “one who is peaceful.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Selim is a variant of Salim. One Arabic interpretation is “one who is peaceful.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Selim is a variant of Salim. An origin associated with Salim is Arabic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Finnish usage, Selim developed from سليم.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1971. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Selim through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,023
- 1,023 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 78 babies
- 2025
- 50
- #2,638 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −17%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 50 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,638 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 16.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 78 in 2017. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,087 as a first name in 2020; 987 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Selim’s family of names
In English usage, Selim has a feminine form in Selma. Selim has a related form in Salim. In Finnish usage, Selim developed from the Arabic form سليم.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Selim has relatives in 4 languages.
3 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Selim
- Selim I9th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 15201470–1520
- Selim II11th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1566–1574)1524–1574
- Selim III28th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1789–1807)1761–1808
- Selim AmallahMoroccan association football playerborn 1996
- Selim PalmgrenFinnish composer and pianist (1878–1951)
- Salim IdrisSyrian military officer (born 1958)born 1957
- Selim BenachourTunisian and French association football playerborn 1981
- Selim I Giraykhan of the Crimean Khanate1631–1704
- Selim YaşarTurkish-Russian wrestler (born 1990)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Selim, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.