Salish

The Salishan are ingenious people from the Pacific North West, made up of four major groups who speak one of 23 Salishan languages. The name "Salish" is an anglicization of Séliš, the local name of the Salish Tribes of the Flathead Reservation in Montana. They are known for their weaving and work with red cedar wood.

It also appears in the name of a sea in the Pacific Ocean, the Salish Sea, which was renamed in 2009 to reflect the significance of the water to the Salishan, and to recognize the importance of taking care of it.

Rarely used as a given name, it is notably borne by Salish Matter, a social media star and a competitive gymnast, who is the daughter of YouTuber and photographer Jordan Matter. In response to questions about his daughter's name, her father explained it was inspired by a cruise in the Pacific North West that the family took when her mother, Lauren Boyer, was pregnant with her. On hearing the name of the Salish Sea, her then three-year-old brother insisted it was his sister's name, and it stuck.

A name that might appeal to those who have Salishan ancestry they wish to honor, or an alternative to the more popular Sailor, Selah, and Shiloh, Salish appeared in the US stats for the first time in 2024, when it was given to five girls.

Pronounced SAY-lish.

As of October 2026, Salish ranked #12950 in US births in 2025 SSA, Nameberry popularity #768.