2000
#5,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,413
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.38
Uncommon Last name
Salem
A habitational surname referring to people from Salem, a place name meaning "safe" or "complete" in Hebrew or Arabic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,132 Americans carry the last name Salem. That puts it at #3,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salem 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 Salem with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,829
Census rank
#3,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,836 bearers of the surname Salem in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salem, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salem
The surname Salem has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the region that is now known as Palestine and Israel. It is derived from the ancient city of Jerusalem, which was known as Salem in biblical times. The name is thought to have originated sometime around the 10th century BC, when the city was first mentioned in the Old Testament.
Salem was an important city in the ancient world, and it is likely that the name was initially used to identify people who lived in or came from the city. Over time, as people migrated and settled in other parts of the region, the name spread and became a common surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Salem can be found in the Domesday Book, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Saleme" and is listed as a landowner in the county of Gloucestershire.
In the 12th century, a man named William Salem was a prominent landowner and nobleman in the county of Norfolk, England. He is mentioned in several historical records from the time, including the Pipe Rolls of 1166-1167.
During the crusades, several notable figures with the surname Salem were involved in the conflicts between Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land. One of the most famous was Reynald of Salem, who was a knight and military leader in the 12th century.
In the 15th century, a man named John Salem was a prominent merchant and politician in the city of Bristol, England. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1450 and played an important role in the city's economic and political affairs.
Another notable figure with the surname Salem was Sir John Salem, who was a member of the English Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. He was a wealthy landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Gatton from 1572 to 1583.
Over the centuries, the surname Salem has spread to various parts of the world, including Europe, North America, and other regions. While its origins can be traced back to the ancient city of Jerusalem, the name has taken on a rich history and cultural significance in many different communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salem
Among Census respondents with the surname Salem, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Salem 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 Salem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.4% · 7,367
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 523
- Two or more races3.8% · 335
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 332
- Black or African American3.0% · 261
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salem
Salem 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
#4,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,404
+1,991 bearers (+31.0%)
Per 100,000 2.85
Rank movement Up 804 places
2020
#3,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,836
+432 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 2.96
Rank movement Up 313 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,019 | 6,413 | 2.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,215 | 8,404 | 2.85 | +1,991 bearers (+31.0%) | Up 804 places |
| 2020 | #3,902 | 8,836 | 2.96 | +432 bearers (+5.1%) | Up 313 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 Salem 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 | #4,215 | #3,902 | 7.4% |
| Count | 8,404 | 8,836 | 5.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.85 | 2.96 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salem bearers went from 8,404 to 8,836 (+5.1% change). The surname moved up 313 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,215 to #3,902.
FAQ
Salem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salem?
Name Census estimates that about 10,132 living Americans carry the surname Salem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,829 residents.
How common is Salem?
Salem ranks #3,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,836 people with the surname Salem. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Salem.
Has Salem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salem went from 8,404 recorded bearers to 8,836. That is an increase of 432 (+5.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,215 to #3,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Salem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salem, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Salem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.4% (7,367 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.4%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Salem (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 Salem mean?
A habitational surname referring to people from Salem, a place name meaning "safe" or "complete" in Hebrew or Arabic. 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 Salem (2.96 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 many Americans have the surname Salem?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.