Selman
Of Turkish origin, meaning "peaceful" or "man of peace".
Name Census estimates that about 57 living Americans carry the first name Selman. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Selman today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Selman births was 2017 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Selman. 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 Selman. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
57
~ 1 in 6,013,234 Americans
Peak year
2017
7 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,858
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Selman: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Selman from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 25 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Selman remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Selman 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 Selman 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 Selman
The name Selman has its origins in the Arabic language and Islamic culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "salama," which means "peace" or "safety." The name is believed to have emerged during the early days of Islam, around the 7th century AD, when Arabic names became more prevalent in the Middle East and surrounding regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Selman can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The name is mentioned in reference to Selman al-Farisi, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who was known for his wisdom and devotion to the faith. Selman al-Farisi, also known as Salman the Persian, is believed to have lived in the 7th century AD and played a significant role in the early days of Islam.
Throughout history, the name Selman has been borne by various notable figures from the Islamic world. One such individual was Selman the Magnificent, a 16th-century Ottoman sultan who reigned from 1520 to 1566. He is renowned for his military conquests and for overseeing the construction of many architectural marvels, including the famous Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul.
Another prominent figure named Selman was Selman Pakdemirli, a 20th-century Turkish politician who served as the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry from 2018 to 2021. He played a crucial role in shaping Turkey's agricultural policies and promoting sustainable practices.
In the realm of literature, Selman Rüşdü Ünlü was a Turkish writer and poet who lived from 1904 to 1945. His works explored themes of love, nature, and national identity, and he is regarded as one of the most influential voices in modern Turkish literature.
Selman Stević, born in 1944, is a Bosnian writer and playwright whose works have been widely acclaimed and translated into multiple languages. He is known for his poetic explorations of the human condition and his contributions to Bosnian cultural heritage.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Selman. The name has maintained its significance and popularity within the Islamic world and among those with Arabic or Middle Eastern roots, serving as a reminder of the cultural and linguistic heritage from which it emerged.
People
Selman + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Selman 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
Selman: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Selman?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 57 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Selman 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 6,013,234 US residents.
Is Selman a common name?
We classify Selman as "Very Rare". It ranks above 56.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 76 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Selman most popular?
The single biggest year for Selman was 2017, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Selman is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Selman a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Selman 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.