Salem

How to say it

/ˈseɪ.ləm/

What it means

Hebrew, 'peace' (from shalem/shalom); the ancient name of Jerusalem.

Salem means 'peace' in Hebrew, and in Genesis it is the city of Melchizedek, an old name for Jerusalem, the 'city of peace.' The Arabic Salim shares the root. America also knows Salem as the Massachusetts town of the 1692 witch trials and as Sabrina's talking cat, associations some families weigh. It reads calm and unisex, said SAY-lum.

Heads-up notes

• Worth knowing

  Hebrew 'peace' and the old name of Jerusalem; also tied to the Salem witch trials, which some families consider.

• Pronunciation

  SAY-lum; unisex.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Salem the biblical 'city of peace,' an old name for Jerusalem

Spelling variants

• Saleem
• Salim
• Salom

Names with the same feeling

• Eden Delight, paradise
• Zion Zion (the hill of Jerusalem)
• Haven Safe harbor, refuge
• River Flowing water
• Shiloh Tranquil; place of rest

See Salem from another angle