Salli
Of Arabic origin meaning "one who is joyful" or "joy".
Name Census estimates that about 489 living Americans carry the first name Salli. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Salli today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Salli births was 1956 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Salli. 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
489
~ 1 in 700,929 Americans
Peak year
1956
31 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1991 SSA rank
#14,899
Tracked since 1938
Popularity
Salli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Salli from the 1930s through to the 1990s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 233 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Salli 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 Salli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sallis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Michigan, Ohio recorded the most babies named Salli, while Ohio, Michigan, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Salli
The name Salli is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia during the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries. It is thought to be a diminutive form of the Old Norse name Sali, which means "hall" or "dwelling."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Salli can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of medieval Icelandic literature that dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries. In these sagas, Salli is mentioned as the name of a norse warrior and adventurer who embarked on various expeditions and battles.
Throughout history, the name Salli has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Salli Þorkelsson (born around 1050), an Icelandic chieftain and lawspeaker who played a significant role in the Icelandic Commonwealth during the 11th century.
In the 12th century, Salli Ragnvaldsson (born around 1120) was a prominent Norwegian nobleman and military commander who fought in the Norwegian Civil Wars. He is known for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Ré in 1163.
Another historical figure bearing the name Salli was Salli Jónsson (born around 1230), an Icelandic scholar and poet who is renowned for his contributions to the preservation of Old Norse literature and mythology. His work, the Salli's Edda, is a valuable source of information about Norse mythology and literature.
In the 15th century, Salli Þórðarson (born around 1430) was an Icelandic bishop and religious leader who played a crucial role in the Icelandic Reformation. He is remembered for his efforts in translating the Bible into Icelandic and promoting the spread of Protestantism in Iceland.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, Salli Halldórsson (born in 1851) was an Icelandic author and playwright who gained recognition for his literary works, including novels and plays that depicted the lives of ordinary Icelanders.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Salli. While the name may have originated in Old Norse, it has been used across different cultures and time periods, reflecting its enduring appeal and historical significance.
People
Salli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Salli 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
Salli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Salli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 489 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Salli 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 700,929 US residents.
Is Salli a common name?
We classify Salli as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 679 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Salli most popular?
The single biggest year for Salli was 1956, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Salli is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Salli a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Salli 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.