Salih
Masculine · “righteous”
Salih is the Arabic word for righteous, and it belongs to a prophet in the Qur'an sent to a people who killed a she-camel.
How old is the name Salih?
Salih first appears in US birth records in 1973 — 52 years ago. The typical Salih alive today was born around 2011, making them about 14 years old. About 600 people named Salih are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Salih most popular?
Salih peaked in 2017, reaching #3781 nationally. Today it ranks #4539, 758 places below that high. See the whole 2017 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Salih
Salih is sent to the people of Thamud, who demand a sign and are given a she-camel; they hamstring it and are destroyed. The story is told several times in the Qur'an and the ruins at Mada'in Salih in northern Arabia are associated with it. The name is used across the Arab world and Turkey. The root also gives the ordinary word for repairing something.
Meaning
righteous, virtuous, sound
From an Arabic root meaning to be sound, right or good; salih describes what is in good order, morally or otherwise, and the same root gives islah, reform, and the word for reconciliation.
Pronouncing Salih
SAH-lih
Two syllables, first stressed; the final h is fully sounded in Arabic.
Nicknames for Salih
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1973
- Most boys named
- 201728 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3781reached in 2017
- Change vs 2024
- −8.3%22 in 2025, from 24
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Salih in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Salih in Arabic — same name
- Salih in Turkish — same name
- Saleh in Urdu — spelling variant
Strongest US states over the last decade: New York, Texas, California.
Salihs among us
people named Salih are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 77,640 born in 2025 was named Salih
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Jamis test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Salih's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Jamis climbed just as high around 1927, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Jamis's path sketches the road Salih is walking now.
Salih sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Salih beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Salih in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled meaning with a genuinely broad root — soundness of every kind.
- Sal is available immediately as an ordinary English short form.
- Recognized across the Arab world and Turkey.
- The final h is swallowed by English speakers.
- Salih, Saleh and Salah are all in use and mark different regions.
- It is close to Salim and Salah in an English ear.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Salih to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Salih? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Salih
Masculine · #4539 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Salihs are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Salih are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Salih in 2025?
- Salih ranks #4539 among US boy names in 2025, with 22 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Salih?
- About 1 in every 77,640 US boys born in 2025 was named Salih — 22 in all.
- Will my child share the name Salih with classmates?
- Salih will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Salih
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Nels#4539 · Gabe#4539 · Michel#4539 · Elroy#4539 · Orlin#4539 · Pearce#4539 · Josemaria#4539 · Napoleon#4539
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Salih? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Salih and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle