Explore the Family Name Salih

The meaning of Salih

1. Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic ṣāliḥ ‘pious, righteous, virtuous’ (see the Koran 26:83). Saleh is the name of a messenger of Allah (see the Koran 7:75). Compare Saleh. 2. Turkish: ornamental name or nickname from salih ‘good, pious’, a word of Arabic origin (see above). Compare Sali. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Hafid, Mohamed, Tarig, Abdul, Abdullah, Ahmad, Akram, Ali, Assad, Azem, Aziz, Driss.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Salih in the United States?

The surname Salih showed significant growth in popularity based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it was ranked at 31,085, but by 2010, its rank had risen to 19,997, reflecting a 35.67% change. Similarly, the count of individuals bearing this surname almost doubled from 706 in 2000 to 1,339 in 2010, which translates to an increase of 89.66%. Consequently, the proportion per 100k population also went up by 73.08% over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#31,085#19,99735.67%
Count7061,33989.66%
Proportion per 100k0.260.4573.08%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Salih

According to the Decennial U.S. Census figures, the ethnic identity associated with the surname Salih also shifted between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander slightly increased from 2.83% to 2.99%. However, those reporting two or more races saw a substantial decline from 26.49% to 8.36%. White individuals bearing the Salih surname rose from 44.48% to 50.19%, while the Black community experienced a remarkable growth of 49.13% moving from 24.79% to 36.97%. There were no recorded instances of the surname among the Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native communities in 2010.

20002010Change
White44.48%50.19%12.84%
Black24.79%36.97%49.13%
Two or More Races26.49%8.36%-68.44%
Asian/Pacific Islander2.83%2.99%5.65%
Hispanic1.42%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%