Selma
/S-EH-L-M-AH/
Peace, safety — Selma is a name with dual origins: Arabic salma (peace, safe) and Scandinavian short form of Anselma. Both roots converge on themes of peace and safety.
See Selma scored for your familyQuick — what every parent wants to know about Selma:
Yes — Selma is a Christian girl name of Arabic origin, meaning “Peace, safety — Selma is a name with dual origins: Arabic salma (peace, safe) and Scandinavian short form of Anselma. Both roots converge on themes of peace and safety.”. It also appears in Muslim tradition.
How well does Selma fit your family?
This page tells you what Selma means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against the names already in your family, your heritage, and your baby's exact birth star.
Unlock Selma's score — free
Six signals — scored for your family, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Selma is a girl's name of Arabic origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "Peace, safety — Selma is a name with dual origins: Arabic salma (peace, safe) and Scandinavian short form of Anselma. Both roots converge on themes of peace and safety." and belongs to the Peace cluster — names meaning calm, serenity, and inner stillness.
Beyond its Christian heritage, Selma is also used in Muslim traditions, reflecting how this name has traveled across cultures.
Common among Scandinavian, European, Arab, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indonesian, Malaysian, Turkish, Singaporean, Bosnian, American, British families, Selma carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
What would a baby named Selma look like?
NameRoot imagines a one-of-a-kind AI baby portrait for every name, shaped by its heritage — the features, the colouring, the feeling a name like Selma carries. No two are alike.
See Selma's portrait — and its full score — the moment you open the app.
See Selma's baby portrait →What does Selma's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Selma resonates in either tradition.
Selma's destiny number is 5 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Selma's full reading →
Does Selma go with your family's names?
Selma breaks into 5 sounds: /S-EH-L-M-AH/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Selma sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Selma beside your family's names →
Names similar to Selma
If Selma resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Christian girl names, common in Scandinavian families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Christian girl names from the Peace cluster
Names that sound similar
Christian girl names that open with the same syllables as Selma
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Selma — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Selma
What does the name Selma mean?
Selma means "Peace, safety — Selma is a name with dual origins: Arabic salma (peace, safe) and Scandinavian short form of Anselma. Both roots converge on themes of peace and safety.." It is a girl name of Arabic origin, traditionally used in Christian families.
Is Selma a boy or girl name?
Selma is most commonly used as a girl name.
What is the origin of the name Selma?
Selma is of Arabic origin, used in Christian, Muslim traditions, commonly among Scandinavian, European, Arab families.
Is Selma a Christian name?
Yes. Selma is a girl name traditionally used in Christian families, of Arabic origin. It also appears in Muslim tradition.
What does Selma mean in Arabic?
Selma originates from Arabic, where it means "Peace, safety — Selma is a name with dual origins: Arabic salma (peace, safe) and Scandinavian short form of Anselma. Both roots converge on themes of peace and safety.."
What is the numerology of Selma?
Selma has a Pythagorean destiny number of 5 — freedom and adventurous change.
See how Selma scores for your family
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