Sal
A diminutive form of the masculine name Salvador, derived from the Latin salvator meaning "savior".
Name Census estimates that about 2,376 living Americans carry the first name Sal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sal today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sal births was 1958 (114 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sal. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
2.4K
~ 1 in 144,257 Americans
Peak year
1958
114 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,158
Tracked since 1909
Popularity
Sal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sal from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 759 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sal by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sals live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. New York, California, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Sal, while Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 236 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sal
The name Sal is a diminutive form of the masculine given name Salvador, which originated from the Late Latin name Salvator, meaning "savior" or "one who saves." This name has its roots in the Spanish and Portuguese languages and cultures, and it can be traced back to the early Christian era.
Salvador was initially a religious name derived from the Latin word "salvare," meaning "to save." It gained popularity among Christians, particularly in regions where Spanish and Portuguese were spoken, as it was associated with the concept of salvation and the figure of Jesus Christ as the savior.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Salvador can be found in the Bible, specifically in the Gospel of Luke, where it refers to Jesus as the "Savior." Additionally, the name appears in various medieval Christian texts and hagiographies (biographies of saints).
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Sal or its variants, such as Salvador Dalí (1904-1989), the renowned Spanish surrealist painter known for his bizarre and dreamlike artworks. Another prominent figure was Salvador Allende (1908-1973), the former President of Chile who tragically died during the military coup in 1973.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook Salvador Madariaga (1886-1978), a Spanish diplomat, writer, and historian who authored numerous works on Spanish history and culture. The name also graced the life of Salvador Novo (1904-1974), a Mexican writer, poet, and scholar who made significant contributions to Mexican literature.
Moving to the world of music, Salvador Bacarisse (1898-1963) was a Spanish composer and pianist who gained recognition for his compositions, including operas and orchestral works. Additionally, Salvador Flores Rivera (1927-1987), better known as Chava Flores, was a renowned Mexican singer and actor who captivated audiences with his performances.
These are just a few examples of the individuals who have carried the name Sal or its variants throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and cultures.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sal
People
Sal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,376 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sal going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 144,257 US residents.
Is Sal a common name?
We classify Sal as "Rare". It ranks above 94.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,650 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sal most popular?
The single biggest year for Sal was 1958, when 114 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sal is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sal in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.