Sal is a boys' name of Latin origin, meaning “saviour”, short form of Salvatore or Salvador. A short form of Salvatore or Salvador, from Latin salvator 'saviour', a title of Jesus.

Sal

Gender: Boy
Say it: SAL
Origin: Latin
US rank, 2025: #6,442 for boys

Sal is a boys' name of Latin origin, meaning “saviour”. In 2025 it ranked 6,442nd for boys in the US (13 babies).

What does Sal mean?

Latin: short form of Salvatore or Salvador

“saviour”

A short form of Salvatore or Salvador, from Latin salvator 'saviour', a title of Jesus.

Is Sal a girl's or a boy's name?

Sal is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 13 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Sal in the US?

Rank in 2025: 6,442nd among boys
Babies in 2025: 13 about 1 in 130,000 boys
Five-year trend: Too rare to call too few babies to tell
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 13 boys in the US were named Sal, making it the 6,442nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 8,062nd. Its busiest year was 1958, with 114 boys. It first appears in the records in 1909.

Half of all the boys named Sal in the US since 1880 were born between 1941 and 1971, the years shaded on the chart below.

1909Busiest: 114 in 19582025

Sal in the US, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	13	#6,442
2024	12	#6,827
2023	9	#8,250
2022	11	#7,256
2021	15	#5,771
2020	9	#8,062
2019	7	#9,750
2018	7	#9,664
2017	6	#10,770
2016	16	#5,551
2015	0	–
2014	11	#7,043
2013	5	#12,129
2012	0	–
2011	5	#12,280
2010	8	#8,797
2009	8	#8,980
2008	5	#12,546
2007	5	#12,361
2006	13	#6,090
2005	16	#5,029
2004	15	#5,241
2003	13	#5,551
2002	15	#4,913
2001	23	#3,612
2000	10	#6,309
1999	13	#5,029
1998	14	#4,645
1997	12	#4,954
1996	19	#3,543
1995	22	#3,095
1994	25	#2,842
1993	21	#3,135
1992	30	#2,407
1991	26	#2,600
1990	29	#2,368
1989	19	#3,088
1988	28	#2,192
1987	22	#2,464
1986	17	#2,888
1985	29	#1,974
1984	13	#3,268
1983	15	#2,911
1982	18	#2,595
1981	24	#2,137
1980	18	#2,616
1979	16	#2,776
1978	28	#1,834
1977	18	#2,458
1976	29	#1,747
1975	21	#2,133
1974	27	#1,747
1973	32	#1,514
1972	49	#1,163
1971	52	#1,138
1970	56	#1,093
1969	54	#1,050
1968	54	#1,006
1967	58	#948
1966	62	#926
1965	62	#934
1964	68	#921
1963	97	#773
1962	103	#749
1961	97	#778
1960	104	#756
1959	107	#737
1958	114	#700
1957	90	#788
1956	51	#1,055
1955	33	#1,312
1954	19	#1,761
1953	28	#1,426
1952	32	#1,322
1951	27	#1,429
1950	30	#1,312
1949	40	#1,109
1948	44	#1,062
1947	64	#869
1946	56	#878
1945	58	#817
1944	45	#964
1943	62	#837
1942	58	#859
1941	51	#888
1940	51	#881
1939	43	#954
1938	39	#1,030
1937	52	#845
1936	50	#861
1935	49	#903
1934	33	#1,150
1933	37	#1,078
1932	44	#992
1931	39	#1,078
1930	19	#1,693
1929	32	#1,237
1928	24	#1,522
1927	34	#1,248
1926	25	#1,466
1925	34	#1,225
1924	28	#1,414
1923	29	#1,358
1922	17	#1,951
1921	21	#1,703
1920	30	#1,323
1919	26	#1,407
1918	22	#1,595
1917	22	#1,528
1916	14	#2,042
1915	21	#1,504
1914	16	#1,544
1913	12	#1,579
1912	15	#1,223
1911	10	#1,116
1910	0	–
1909	8	#1,083

Names like Sal

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Paul, James, Jay, Russell, Tony, John, Richard, Rex, Wayne, Mark, Martin, Lawrence

Names related to Sal

Saul, Saleh, Salah, Sael, Salih, Saulo

More Latin names

Oliver, Olivia, Leo, Roman, Aurora, Emily, Florence, Mabel, Luna, Nora, Rosie, Emilia, Max, Nova, Lucy, Julian

Every Latin name

Sources

Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Sal: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/sal, updated 20 October 2026.