Salma is an Arabic name from the root salima, meaning "safe" or "peaceful", and belongs to the same family as Salim and Salaam. The Mexican-American actress Salma Hayek is the name's best known bearer in the United States. Salma was at its US peak, number 673, in 2000, drifted out of the top 1000 around 2020 and has settled back in at number 937 in 2025.