Salma

Salma comes from the Arabic root s-l-m, shared with salaam, peace, and suggests safety or tranquility. Two clean syllables, the L softening the center, it has been sung into being through centuries of Arabic poetry, where Salma often appears as the beloved in verse. The actress Salma Hayek carried it into global English recognition, where it retains its distinctive Arabic contour. It is popular across the Arab world and North Africa, and increasingly chosen by parents outside that tradition who want a name both exotic to Western ears and easy to pronounce. Salma is quiet power, softly spoken.