Salina
A feminine name derived from the Latin "salinae", meaning "salt works".
Name Census estimates that about 6,469 living Americans carry the first name Salina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Salina today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Salina births was 1977 (385 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Salina. 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
6.5K
~ 1 in 52,984 Americans
Peak year
1977
385 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,744
Tracked since 1882
Popularity
Salina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Salina from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 1,827 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Salina 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 Salina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Salinas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 28 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Salina, while Tennessee, Arkansas, Utah recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 146 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Salina
The name Salina is derived from the Latin word "salinae," which means "salt works" or "salt marshes." It is believed to have originated in ancient Roman times, when salt production was an important industry in certain regions.
Salina was likely used as a given name for children born near salt marshes or areas known for salt mining or production. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 3rd century AD, when it was mentioned in Roman inscriptions and historical documents.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Salina was Saint Salina, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD. According to legend, she was tortured and executed for her faith during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
In the Middle Ages, Salina was a relatively common name among Italian and Spanish families, particularly those living in coastal regions or areas with salt marshes or salt mines. One notable example is Salina de' Mozzi, an Italian noblewoman born in 1270 who was renowned for her charity work and philanthropic efforts.
Another historical figure named Salina was Salina de la Cruz, a Spanish mystic and Franciscan nun who lived in the 16th century (1492-1548). She was known for her visions and spiritual writings, which influenced the Catholic Church's teachings on mysticism.
During the Renaissance period, the name Salina was popular among artists and intellectuals in Italy. One example is Salina Brunelleschi (1377-1446), an Italian Renaissance painter and architect who was the wife of the famous architect Filippo Brunelleschi.
In more recent history, Salina was the name of Salina Turda (1888-1968), a Romanian writer and feminist who was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement in her country. She published several novels and short stories that explored the struggles and experiences of women in Romanian society.
People
Salina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Salina 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
Salina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Salina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6,469 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Salina 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 52,984 US residents.
Is Salina a common name?
We classify Salina as "Rare". It ranks above 97% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7,203 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Salina most popular?
The single biggest year for Salina was 1977, when 385 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Salina is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Salina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Salina 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.
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.