2000
#13,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,979
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Salim
An Arabic surname meaning "safe," "secure," or "peaceful," often referring to a virtuous or pious person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,431 Americans carry the last name Salim. That puts it at #8,209 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,354 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salim 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 Salim with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,354
Census rank
#8,209
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,864 bearers of the surname Salim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8209th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salim, the largest self-reported group is White at 38.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.7%) and Black (17.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salim
The surname SALIM originated in the Middle East, particularly in the Arab regions. Its roots can be traced back to the 7th century AD, shortly after the rise of Islam. The name is derived from the Arabic word "salim," which means "safe" or "peaceful."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SALIM surname can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts dating back to the 9th century. These manuscripts often mentioned individuals with the name, indicating its widespread use during the Islamic Golden Age.
In the 11th century, the SALIM surname appeared in various records from the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over a vast territory stretching from North Africa to Central Asia. One notable figure was Salim al-Dawla, a prominent military commander and governor who lived from 1025 to 1087.
During the Crusades, the SALIM name was also documented in Christian records, as the Crusaders encountered individuals with this surname in the Holy Land and neighboring regions. For instance, a nobleman named Salim ibn Khalid was mentioned in a 12th-century chronicle written by the Frankish historian William of Tyre.
As the Islamic empires expanded, the SALIM surname spread across various regions, including Persia (modern-day Iran), Central Asia, and parts of the Indian subcontinent. In the 16th century, a renowned Persian poet named Salim Athar (1516-1600) gained recognition for his literary works.
In the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over a vast territory spanning from southeastern Europe to the Arabian Peninsula, the SALIM surname was also widely used. One notable figure was Sultan Salim I, who reigned from 1512 to 1520 and oversaw the conquest of Egypt and the Levant.
The SALIM surname has also been recorded in various parts of Africa, particularly in regions with significant Arab influence, such as North Africa and the Horn of Africa. In the 19th century, a prominent Somali scholar and poet named Salim al-Barani (1825-1891) made significant contributions to the literary traditions of the region.
Over time, the SALIM surname has spread globally, with individuals bearing this name found in various parts of the world, including Europe, North America, and Australia. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the Middle Eastern and Islamic cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salim
Among Census respondents with the surname Salim, the largest self-reported group is White at 38.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.7%) and Black (17.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Salim 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 Salim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White38.1% · 1,474
- Asian and Pacific Islander33.7% · 1,304
- Black or African American17.3% · 669
- Two or more races6.1% · 237
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 168
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salim
Salim 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
#12,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,364
+385 bearers (+19.5%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 1,003 places
2020
#8,209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,864
+1,500 bearers (+63.5%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 4,777 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,989 | 1,979 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,986 | 2,364 | 0.80 | +385 bearers (+19.5%) | Up 1,003 places |
| 2020 | #8,209 | 3,864 | 1.29 | +1,500 bearers (+63.5%) | Up 4,777 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 Salim 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 | #12,986 | #8,209 | 36.8% |
| Count | 2,364 | 3,864 | 63.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 1.29 | 61.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salim bearers went from 2,364 to 3,864 (+63.5% change). The surname moved up 4,777 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,986 to #8,209.
FAQ
Salim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salim?
Name Census estimates that about 4,431 living Americans carry the surname Salim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,354 residents.
How common is Salim?
Salim ranks #8,209 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,864 people with the surname Salim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,431), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Salim.
Has Salim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salim went from 2,364 recorded bearers to 3,864. That is an increase of 1,500 (+63.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,986 to #8,209.
What does the Census say about the background of Salim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salim, the largest self-reported group is White at 38.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.7%) and Black (17.3%). 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 Salim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 38.1% (1,474 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (38.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (33.7%), Black (17.3%). 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 Salim (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 Salim mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "safe," "secure," or "peaceful," often referring to a virtuous or pious person. 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 Salim (1.29 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 Salim?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.