| Layan | Salma | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Softness, gentleness | Safe, peaceful |
| Origin | arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | lay-AAN | SAL-mah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1918 |
| Peak year | 2025 (329) | 1999 (442) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 278 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Layan | Salma |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,458 | 1,724 |
| 2010s | 1,427 | 3,321 |
| 2000s | 325 | 3,488 |
| 1990s | 15 | 1,535 |
| 1980s | 0 | 178 |
| 1970s | 0 | 59 |
| 1910s | 0 | 6 |
Layan (ليان) comes from the Arabic root l-y-n ('to be soft'), carrying the sense of softness, gentleness and an easy, comfortable life. Some sources add a secondary 'ease/prosperity of living' nuance.
Salma (سلمى, salma) comes from the Arabic root s-l-m ('peace, safety, soundness') - the same root as salam and Islam - and means 'safe, peaceful, unharmed'. It is a classical name used in early Arabic poetry.
Salma is more popular than Layan today: about 278 US babies were given the name Salma in 2025, compared with 0 named Layan.
Layan means Softness, gentleness (arabic origin), while Salma means Safe, peaceful (arabic origin).
In US records, Layan first appears in 0 and Salma in 1918, so Layan has the longer recorded history.