A Name Story by Houdhoud
صَالِح
Saleh
SAA-leh
“Righteous, virtuous.”
About Saleh
Saleh is a Muslim baby boy's name meaning "righteous, virtuous", an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
From the Arabic root ص-ل-ح meaning 'goodness, righteousness'. Name of the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him).
Spellings of Saleh
صَالِح is one name, written in Latin letters in more than one way. Every spelling below is the same name.
| Spelling | Births in England and Wales, 2025 | Births in France, 2016 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Salehthe spelling used on this page | 34 | 60 |
| Salih | 13 | 205 |
Babies registered with exactly that spelling. England and Wales: Office for National Statistics, 2025 (the list covers names given to 3 or more babies). France: INSEE Fichier des prénoms, 2016 to 2025 added together (INSEE rounds each yearly count to the nearest 5).
Origin & roots
Origin
Arabic
Gender
Boy
Root letters
In Arabic, root letters are the seed that gives a word its meaning. Every word built from them inherits that family of meaning, and Saleh is one such word.
In the Qur’an
Surah 7 : Ayah 73
وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًا ۗ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ …
“And to the Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. …”
Saleh appears in the Qur'an directly, as in the verse above.
Across history
Who has carried Saleh before.
- The Prophet Salih (peace be upon him)
- Saladin (Salah al-Din, 1137–1193), liberator of Jerusalem
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
Discover names like Saleh
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Common questions about Saleh
- What does the name Saleh mean?
- Saleh (صَالِح) means "Righteous, virtuous". From the Arabic root ص-ل-ح meaning 'goodness, righteousness'. Name of the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him).
- Is Saleh a name from the Qur'an?
- Yes. Saleh appears in the Qur'an, in Surah 7, Ayah 73. The verse is on this page with its English meaning.
- Is Saleh a boy or a girl name?
- Saleh is traditionally a boy's name.
- Where does the name Saleh come from?
- Saleh is an Arabic name, built on the root letters Ṣ-L-Ḥ.
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