Salma, name meaning in Islam

Salma (سَلْمَىٰ) is an Arabic name for girls. It means peaceful, safe.

Meaning and root

In Arabic, words are built from a root of usually three letters. Salma comes from the root س ل م, and words from the same root share its core meaning. Similar names from the same family of words are listed below.

Is Salma in the Quran?

No. Salma is not a word in the Quran. A name does not need to be in the Quran to be a good Muslim name: what matters is that its meaning is good. The Prophet ﷺ changed names with bad meanings and kept names with good ones.¹

How to say and write Salma

Say it SAL-maa. The capital letters show the stressed part. In English it is also spelled Salmaa. In Arabic it is written with 4 letters, from right to left: س sin + ل lam + م mim + ى alif maqsura.

Choosing Salma

Many parents choose Salma to name their child after someone from the early generations of Islam, hoping the child will grow up with the same qualities. With the father's name it becomes Salma bint (and the father's name): see what bin, bint and abu mean.

Famous people named Salma

• Salma bint Amr, the grandmother of the Prophet ﷺ through his father

Names like Salma

• Salman
• Salwa
• Sakinah

1. Sahih Muslim 2139, the Prophet ﷺ changing a name with a bad meaning.
2. Sahih Muslim 2315.
3. Sahih Muslim 2132.
4. Meanings follow classical Arabic usage and the standard name dictionaries; our teachers will check each one.

Our teachers will check the Arabic spelling and meaning on this page before launch.