Find out how popular the last name Salma is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Salma.

Salma, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Salma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Salma in America

Salma is the 86314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Salma surname appeared 216 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Salma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Salma to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Salma

The surname Salma has its origins in the Arabic language, tracing its roots back to the Middle East and North Africa. It is derived from the word "salam," which means peace or tranquility. This surname first emerged in regions where Arabic was the predominant language, such as the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, and parts of the Levant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Salma can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts and historical texts from the 7th to 10th centuries. These documents often mentioned individuals with the name, indicating its widespread use during the Islamic Golden Age.

In later centuries, the surname Salma spread beyond the Arab world as a result of migration, trade, and cultural exchange. It can be found in various historical records from different parts of the world, such as the Ottoman Empire, Spain, and even parts of South Asia.

One notable bearer of the surname Salma was Abu al-Qasim al-Salma (born around 1035 CE), a renowned poet and literary figure from Andalusia, modern-day Spain. His works were highly influential during the period of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula.

Another historically significant individual with the surname Salma was Yahya al-Salma (1173-1242 CE), a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from Damascus. He was known for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the field of Sharia law.

In the 15th century, there was a notable family with the surname Salma in the city of Granada, which was the last stronghold of the Nasrid dynasty in Spain before the Christian Reconquista. The Salma family played an important role in the cultural and intellectual life of the city during that period.

Moving forward in time, Ahmed Salma (1662-1728 CE) was a renowned calligrapher and artist from Ottoman Istanbul. His works were highly sought after, and he was renowned for his mastery of the Arabic calligraphic scripts.

In the 19th century, there was a prominent Egyptian scholar and historian named Rifa'a al-Tahtawi al-Salma (1801-1873 CE). He played a significant role in the intellectual and cultural revival of Egypt during the era of Muhammad Ali Pasha, and his writings were instrumental in introducing modern ideas and concepts to the Arab world.

While the surname Salma has its origins in the Middle East and North Africa, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. The individuals mentioned above are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne this surname and made their mark in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Salma

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Salma.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Salma was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Salma has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Salma was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Salma, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!