boy's name
Selim
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Boy
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 8,116
France
#345
2025 births
Selim is a boy's name. In 2025 it was given to 50 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Selim is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in France in 2018, when 210 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 4,065 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1950.
Selim over time
Births per decade in France, 1950s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 25 |
| 1960s | 120 |
| 1970s | 290 |
| 1980s | 1,050 |
| 1990s | 1,360 |
| 2000s | 1,295 |
| 2010s | 1,490 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,020 |
How popular is Selim?
In 2025, Selim was given to 145 babies in France, ranking #345 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Selim is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Selim is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Sélim | Sélim is a rare spelling of Selim, written with an acute accent and recorded about 435 times, mostly in France. | 435 |
Names that peaked alongside Selim
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Selim also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Selim over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Selim
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Selim — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Selim
How popular is the name Selim?
In 2025, Selim was given to 145 babies in France, ranking #345 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Selim a girl's or a boy's name?
Selim is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
When was Selim most popular?
Selim peaked in 2018, when 210 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Selim a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Selim currently ranks #345 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.