Holding steady.
Popularity of Salley since 1894
Babies named Salley per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1952, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Salley's real moment was 1894.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 6 |
| 1900s | 0 |
| 1910s | 46 |
| 1920s | 44 |
| 1930s | 59 |
| 1940s | 85 |
| 1950s | 90 |
| 1960s | 47 |
| 1970s | 31 |
| 1980s | 8 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Salley first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1894 and has remained extremely uncommon ever since, never ranking in the top 1,000. Its peak usage was in its very first year, 1894, and it has seen no significant resurgence. The name is a variant spelling of Sally, derived from Sarah, a name of Hebrew origin meaning "princess." While Sally enjoyed moderate popularity through the mid-20th century, the spelling with an 'e' has always been rare. Salley's trajectory is stable, with occasional sporadic use but no upward trend. Today, it remains a distinctive choice for parents seeking a vintage-sounding name with a classic root. The name was not notably concentrated in any U.S. state, reflecting its overall rarity.
Salley is a respelling of Sally, which originated as a diminutive of Sarah, from the Hebrew word meaning "princess." Sarah was a biblical matriarch, and Sally became a common English nickname in the 17th century. The popularity of Sally as a standalone name led to variant spellings like Salley, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Salley has never been as widely used as the standard spelling Sally.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Sal
Sibling names for Salley
Names that share Salley's style, for a brother or sister.
