Fun Facts About the Name Psalm
- More than 1 thousand babies named Psalm: U.S. records list 1,120 babies given the name Psalm from 1880 through 2025. Even 359 girls received the name Psalm - about 1 girl for every 2 boys.
What Does the Name Psalm Mean?
Psalm is an English word name meaning "sacred song." It comes from Greek psalmos (ψαλμός), which referred to a song sung to a harp or stringed instrument. Psalmos derives from psallein (ψάλλειν), "to pluck, twang, or play a stringed instrument." In Greek versions of the Hebrew Bible, psalmos was used for Hebrew mizmor (מִזְמוֹר), a word for a melody or song, especially one accompanied by music. The Greek and Hebrew words are not related etymologically; psalmos was a translation equivalent. English received the word through Latin psalmus and Old English psealm, later salm. The literal root sense is musical performance on strings, while the customary meaning is a sacred song or hymn, especially one from the biblical Book of Psalms.
Psalm Name History & Origins
The English word psalm developed from Latin psalmus, borrowed from Greek psalmos. Greek translators of the Hebrew Bible used psalmos for mizmor, the heading attached to many individual psalms. The Hebrew title of the whole collection is Tehillim (תְּהִלִּים), "praises." Old English inherited the word as psealm and salm; the initial p and the l in the modern spelling reflect the Latin and Greek forms, though neither is pronounced in standard English. The word became the usual English name for the biblical poems collected in the Book of Psalms, and it also came to mean any sacred song used in worship. The related term Psalter comes from Greek psalterion, a stringed instrument.
In current English, Psalm is a word name taken from that religious vocabulary. It is used in English-speaking countries, and it belongs with other English word names drawn from scripture and worship. It is not a traditional name inherited from medieval Europe or from a biblical character; its use as a personal name is an extension of the English noun. In Hebrew, the book is called Tehillim, and individual psalms often carry the heading mizmor; those Hebrew terms are not the source of the English given name.
How Popular is the Name Psalm?
Psalm has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #1,110 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,252 | 82 | 0.0051% |
| 2024 | #2,868 | 58 | 0.0036% |
| 2023 | #3,750 | 41 | 0.0026% |
| 2022 | #5,133 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 2021 | #6,618 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2020 | #6,858 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 2019 | #13,467 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #12,242 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #9,787 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #18,237 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #10,003 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #18,587 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #11,749 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #9,006 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #19,164 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #14,856 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #15,021 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #17,103 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #13,843 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #15,292 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #16,935 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #16,234 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,110 | 194 | 0.0114% |
| 2024 | #1,173 | 177 | 0.0103% |
| 2023 | #1,484 | 121 | 0.0071% |
| 2022 | #2,015 | 76 | 0.0044% |
| 2021 | #2,292 | 61 | 0.0035% |
| 2020 | #3,017 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 2019 | #5,733 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #10,470 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #13,766 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #9,463 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #11,750 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #7,424 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #8,604 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #10,689 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #10,614 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #9,686 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #11,706 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #11,173 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Psalm
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with P
Unique Short Boy Names That Start with P
How the Name Psalm Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Psalm's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Psalm's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.