A Name Story by Houdhoud
سَلْمَى
Salma
SAL-mah
“Safe; peaceful.”
About Salma
Salma is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "safe; peaceful", an Arabic-Turkish name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
From the Arabic root س-ل-م meaning 'peace, safety'. Same root as 'Islam' and 'salaam'.
Used widely across Arab, Turkish, and Berber families.
Spellings of Salma
سَلْمَى 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Salmathe spelling used on this page | 63 | 2,735 |
| Selma | 12 | 3,870 |
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 · Turkish
Gender
Girl
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 Salma is one such word.
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
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Common questions about Salma
- What does the name Salma mean?
- Salma (سَلْمَى) means "Safe; peaceful". From the Arabic root س-ل-م meaning 'peace, safety'. Same root as 'Islam' and 'salaam'.
- Is Salma a name from the Qur'an?
- Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Salma is an Arabic-Turkish name long carried across the Muslim world. We only show a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.
- Is Salma a boy or a girl name?
- Salma is traditionally a girl's name.
- Where does the name Salma come from?
- Salma is an Arabic-Turkish name, built on the root letters S-L-M. Used widely across Arab, Turkish, and Berber families.
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