2000
#31,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 706
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Salih
A surname derived from the Arabic word meaning pious, righteous, or virtuous.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,712 Americans carry the last name Salih. That puts it at #12,512 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,384 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salih 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 Salih with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,384
Census rank
#12,512
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,365 bearers of the surname Salih in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12512th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salih, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.1%. The next largest groups are Black (40.9%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salih
The surname SALIH has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have emerged from the Middle East region during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Arabic word "salih," which means "righteous" or "pious." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who were known for their devout religious beliefs or upstanding moral character.
One of the earliest known references to the surname SALIH can be found in historical records from the Ottoman Empire, where it was prevalent among Muslim communities. The name was particularly common in regions such as modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, where Arabic and Islamic influences were strong.
In the 13th century, a renowned Islamic scholar and mystic, Sheikh Salih al-Mawsili, was known by the surname SALIH. He was born in Mosul, Iraq, in 1181 and gained recognition for his contributions to Sufi teachings and poetry.
Another notable figure bearing the surname SALIH was Salih ibn Mirdas, a 7th-century Arab leader and commander who played a significant role in the early Islamic conquests. He was instrumental in the Muslim conquest of Persia and is mentioned in several historical accounts from that era.
During the 14th century, the SALIH surname appeared in various records from the Mamluk Sultanate, which ruled over parts of the Middle East and North Africa. One example is Salih al-Ayni, a renowned historian and writer who lived from 1360 to 1451 and authored several important works on Islamic history and jurisprudence.
In the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire witnessed the rise of Salih Pasha, a prominent military commander and statesman who served as the Grand Vizier (chief minister) under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. He played a crucial role in the expansion and administration of the Ottoman Empire during its golden age.
The surname SALIH can also be found in historical records from other regions, such as North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, where Arabic and Islamic influences were present. For instance, Abu Salih al-Armani was a 12th-century Andalusian poet and scholar from Almería, Spain, who made significant contributions to Arabic literature.
While the surname SALIH has its roots in the Middle East and Islamic culture, it has spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its etymology and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of Arabic and Islamic history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salih
Among Census respondents with the surname Salih, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.1%. The next largest groups are Black (40.9%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Salih 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 Salih surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.1% · 1,138
- Black or African American40.9% · 968
- Two or more races7.1% · 168
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 58
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salih
Salih 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
#19,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,339
+633 bearers (+89.7%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Up 11,088 places
2020
#12,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,365
+1,026 bearers (+76.6%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 7,485 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,085 | 706 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,997 | 1,339 | 0.45 | +633 bearers (+89.7%) | Up 11,088 places |
| 2020 | #12,512 | 2,365 | 0.79 | +1,026 bearers (+76.6%) | Up 7,485 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 Salih 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 | #19,997 | #12,512 | 37.4% |
| Count | 1,339 | 2,365 | 76.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.45 | 0.79 | 75.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salih bearers went from 1,339 to 2,365 (+76.6% change). The surname moved up 7,485 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,997 to #12,512.
FAQ
Salih surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salih?
Name Census estimates that about 2,712 living Americans carry the surname Salih. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,384 residents.
How common is Salih?
Salih ranks #12,512 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,365 people with the surname Salih. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,712), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Salih.
Has Salih become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salih went from 1,339 recorded bearers to 2,365. That is an increase of 1,026 (+76.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,997 to #12,512.
What does the Census say about the background of Salih?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salih, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.1%. The next largest groups are Black (40.9%) and Two or More Races (7.1%). 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 Salih in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.1% (1,138 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salih appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.1%), Black (40.9%), Two or More Races (7.1%). 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 Salih (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 Salih mean?
A surname derived from the Arabic word meaning pious, righteous, or virtuous. 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 Salih (0.79 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 Salih?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Salih on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.