2000
#21,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Salah
An Arabic surname meaning prayer, supplication or worship.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,094 Americans carry the last name Salah. That puts it at #11,211 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,780 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salah surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Salah with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,780
Census rank
#11,211
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,698 bearers of the surname Salah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11211th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salah, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.3%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salah
The surname SALAH has its origins in the Arabic language, and it is believed to have emerged in the Middle East during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Arabic word "salah," which translates to "prayer" or "supplication." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who were deeply religious or held positions within religious institutions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SALAH can be found in historical documents from the region of modern-day Lebanon and Syria, dating back to the 12th century. These records often mention individuals bearing the name SALAH in connection with various professions, such as scholars, merchants, and artisans.
During the 13th century, the name SALAH gained prominence in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the region of Andalusia, which was under Moorish rule at the time. Several prominent figures with the surname SALAH emerged during this period, including Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Salah, a renowned scholar and jurist who lived in the 13th century and authored several influential works on Islamic jurisprudence.
The surname SALAH can also be traced back to the city of Salah, located in present-day Morocco. It is possible that individuals from this city or region adopted the name SALAH as a way to identify their place of origin.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname SALAH. One such figure was Nur al-Din Salah, a Kurdish military leader and Sultan of Syria who lived from 1137 to 1174. He played a crucial role in the defense of the Muslim territories against the Crusaders and is remembered for his military campaigns and leadership.
Another prominent individual with the surname SALAH was Muhammad ibn Salah al-Bahnasi, an Egyptian scholar and historian who lived in the 13th century. He is best known for his work "Al-Isharah ila man Nala al-Wizarah," which provides valuable insights into the administrative and political structures of the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt.
In the realm of literature, Ahmad ibn Salah al-Misri, an Egyptian poet and scholar from the 15th century, left a lasting impact with his poetic works and contributions to Arabic literature.
It is worth noting that the surname SALAH has also been found in other regions, such as the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia, suggesting that individuals bearing this name may have migrated or traveled to these areas over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salah
Among Census respondents with the surname Salah, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.3%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Salah bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Salah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.3% · 1,574
- Black or African American31.3% · 844
- Two or more races5.9% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salah
Salah appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#16,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,783
+640 bearers (+56.0%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 5,154 places
2020
#11,211
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,698
+915 bearers (+51.3%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 4,984 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,349 | 1,143 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,195 | 1,783 | 0.60 | +640 bearers (+56.0%) | Up 5,154 places |
| 2020 | #11,211 | 2,698 | 0.90 | +915 bearers (+51.3%) | Up 4,984 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Salah surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,195 | #11,211 | 30.8% |
| Count | 1,783 | 2,698 | 51.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.90 | 50.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salah bearers went from 1,783 to 2,698 (+51.3% change). The surname moved up 4,984 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,195 to #11,211.
FAQ
Salah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salah?
Name Census estimates that about 3,094 living Americans carry the surname Salah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,780 residents.
How common is Salah?
Salah ranks #11,211 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,698 people with the surname Salah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,094), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Salah.
Has Salah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salah went from 1,783 recorded bearers to 2,698. That is an increase of 915 (+51.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,195 to #11,211.
What does the Census say about the background of Salah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salah, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.3%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Salah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.3% (1,574 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.3%), Black (31.3%), Two or More Races (5.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Salah (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Salah mean?
An Arabic surname meaning prayer, supplication or worship. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Salah (0.90 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Salah?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Salah, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.