Saleta
A feminine name of Spanish origin, meaning "little salad", a diminutive form of "salada".
Name Census estimates that about 19 living Americans carry the first name Saleta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Saleta today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Saleta births was 1989 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Saleta. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Saleta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
19
~ 1 in 18,039,702 Americans
Peak year
1989
9 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1989 SSA rank
#8,596
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Saleta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Saleta from the 1910s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 20 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Saleta 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 Saleta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Saleta
The name Saleta is of Spanish origin, derived from the Latin word "salutare," which means "to greet" or "to salute." It is believed to have emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century, in the regions of Spain and Portugal.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Saleta can be found in the 14th-century Spanish epic poem "El Poema de Mio Cid," where a character named Saleta is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Saleta was Saleta de Ampurias, a Spanish noblewoman who played a significant role in the political affairs of her time. She was born in 1520 and died in 1586.
Another historical figure with the name Saleta was Saleta de Velasco, a Spanish painter who lived in the 17th century. She was renowned for her religious artwork and contributed to the artistic traditions of the Spanish Golden Age.
Saleta Ferrer, a Spanish writer and educator, was born in 1878 and lived until 1965. She was a prominent figure in the field of education and worked tirelessly to promote literacy and educational opportunities for women in Spain.
In the realm of literature, Saleta Rodríguez Fornies, a Spanish novelist and poet, gained recognition for her works exploring themes of love, loss, and identity. She was born in 1920 and passed away in 2003.
Saleta Michans, a Cuban-American actress and dancer, made her mark in the entertainment industry during the mid-20th century. Born in 1931, she performed in various Broadway productions and television shows, showcasing her talents on stage and screen.
The name Saleta, while not as widely used as some other Spanish names, has a rich history and cultural significance. Its origins can be traced back to Latin roots, and it has been borne by notable figures throughout different eras, spanning the realms of nobility, art, literature, and entertainment.
People
Saleta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Saleta 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
Saleta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Saleta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 19 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Saleta 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 18,039,702 US residents.
Is Saleta a common name?
We classify Saleta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Saleta most popular?
The single biggest year for Saleta was 1989, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Saleta is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Saleta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Saleta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Saleta in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Saleta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Saleta in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Saleta can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Saleta?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.