UK boy's name
Salim
A masculine Arabic name meaning "peaceful" or "secure".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Salim is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Salim popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1460, with 18 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 22 births.
This profile covers 421 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 82% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 418 living people in the UK are called Salim. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Salim ranked #1460 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 18 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 22 boys were registered as Salim.
- • About 418 living people in the UK are estimated to have Salim as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1460
2024
Births in 2024
18
Latest year
Peak year
2019
22 births
Estimated living
418
2026
Meaning
What does Salim mean?
The name Salim has its origins in Arabic culture and language. It is derived from the Arabic root word "salama," which means "peace" or "safety." The name Salim is believed to have been in use as early as the 7th century AD, during the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Salim can be found in the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. In the Quran, the name Salim is mentioned as the son of the prophet Noah. This biblical reference suggests that the name has been in use for centuries and has roots in both Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions.
Throughout history, the name Salim has been borne by various prominent figures across the Muslim world. One of the most notable individuals with this name was Salim I, the Ottoman Sultan who ruled from 1512 to 1520. During his reign, Salim I expanded the Ottoman Empire into parts of the Middle East and North Africa.
Another famous bearer of the name Salim was Salim Ali, an Indian ornithologist and naturalist who lived from 1896 to 1987. He is widely regarded as the "Bird Man of India" and made significant contributions to the study of birds and their habitats in the subcontinent.
In the field of literature, Salim was the pen name of the 19th-century Urdu poet Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri, who was born in 1838 and died in 1908. His works, which often explored themes of love and spirituality, are considered among the finest examples of Urdu poetry from that era.
The name Salim has also been borne by several rulers and nobles throughout history, such as Salim Shah Suri, the Sultan of Bengal who reigned from 1459 to 1490, and Salim Khan, the Nawab of Tonk in Rajasthan, India, who lived from 1718 to 1768.
While the name Salim has its roots in Arabic and Islamic culture, it has transcended linguistic and religious boundaries and has been adopted by various communities across the world. Its association with peace and safety has made it a popular choice for parents seeking a name with positive connotations for their children.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Salim over time
The chart below shows babies named Salim registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Salim, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 18 births in 2024, compared with 22 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Salim by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Salim was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1804 | 70 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1711 | 144 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1233 | 157 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1187 | 50 | 4 |
Notable bearers
Famous people named Salim
-
Salim Ahmed Salim
minister; diplomat; politician
Tanzanian politician and diplomat
1942-
Related
Names similar to Salim
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Salim: questions and answers
How popular is the name Salim in the UK right now?
In 2024, Salim was ranked #1460 for boys in England and Wales, with 18 births registered.
When was Salim most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 22 babies registered as Salim in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Salim?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "peaceful" or "secure".
How many people are called Salim in the UK?
A total of 421 babies have been registered as Salim across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.