Salif
How to say it: sa-LEEF · /saˈlif/
West African form of Arabic Salih meaning 'righteous'; common in Mali and Senegal - warm.
Salif was the 10,623rd most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 6 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 2010s, its births are up 2.2-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #9,588 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #10,623 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 6 |
| Share of births | 1 in 552,557 |
| Peak decade | 2010s |
| Change over 10 years | ×2.2 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #9,588 |
| In France, 2025 | #631 among boys’ names, 55 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Salif is a newcomer: almost all of its history is from the last forty years.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Salif is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Arabic, English, French.
In France: #631 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Salif
- Salif Sané (born 1990)Senegalese and French footballer
- Salif Diao (born 1977)Senegalese association football player
- Salif Keïta (1946–2023)Malian footballer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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