Explore the Family Name Salam
The meaning of Salam
Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic salām ‘peace, safety, security’. Al-Salām ‘the All-Peaceable’ is an attribute of Allah, giving rise to the compound name ʿAbd al-Salām, ʿAbdul-Salām, ʿAbdus-Salām (see Abdelsalam, Abdulsalam, and Abdussalaam). As-salāmu ʿalaikum ‘peace be upon you’ is a universal greeting among Muslims. This name is a cognate of the Jewish and Christian Biblical name Solomon (Arabic form Suleiman). Compare Salaam, see also Salama. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Abdus, Abdul, Mohamed, Mohammed, Syed, Abdu, Gamil, Omar, Sami, Tanvir, Tareq, Yasser.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Salam in the United States?
The surname Salam has shown a remarkable increase in popularity over the past decade, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it was ranked 26,469, but by 2010 it had risen to rank 20,676, marking an upward shift of 21.89%. The count of individuals with this surname also increased from 867 in 2000 to 1,280 in 2010, a jump of 47.64%. The proportion of people named Salam per 100,000 also rose from 0.32 in 2000 to 0.43 in 2010, a significant growth of 34.38%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #26,469 | #20,676 | 21.89% |
| Count | 867 | 1,280 | 47.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.32 | 0.43 | 34.38% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Salam
When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Salam, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting trends. A sizable portion of individuals bearing this name identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, with the percentage increasing from 40.72% in 2000 to 49.61% in 2010. There was a dramatic decrease in those identifying as two or more races, which fell from 17.65% to 3.83%. The proportion of White individuals with this surname saw a modest rise from 25.37% to 27.73%. While there were no individuals identifying as Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, by 2010, these groups accounted for 2.73% and 0.70% respectively. Black individuals with the surname Salam also saw a significant increase in representation, from 11.42% in 2000 to 15.39% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 40.72% | 49.61% | 21.83% |
| White | 25.37% | 27.73% | 9.3% |
| Black | 11.42% | 15.39% | 34.76% |
| Two or More Races | 17.65% | 3.83% | -78.3% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 2.73% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.7% | 0% |