This is really just food for thought. While reading the responses to the dark names post I made I started thinking of about the name Salem. Iām always thinking about the name Salem if Iām being honest. Something I find very interesting is why some associations are so strong and arenāt.
Salem Witch Trials: Bad, yes, but horrible things have happened in other places. Like the Dawson Massacre, St. Valentineās Day Massacre, Lawrence massacre, Everett Massacre, Kent State shātings, Aurora shātings, etc. These names havenāt been āruinedā because of these things. Could it be because of the sensationalism of witchcraft makes us want to talk about it more?
I saw a comment of Reddit that said people who like the name Salem are āedgelord teenagers who think witch shit is cool and didnāt read up on the history.ā Itās hyperbolic but I know for me (others Iāve seen use the name) itās not true. I have degree in history and anthropology. Honestly, I think this makes me more open to the name and see it less narrowly. Especially with being taught the importance of not viewing things through an ethnocentric lens. This doesnāt negate the bad but allows it to be more.
Salem the cat: My boy! Love that dude! Whyās this bad? I think the association is so strong with this because Sabrina the Teenage Witch hasnāt really gone away since it was created. Thus making this a reference point for multiple generations. Some other pet characters that overcome their associations: Milo, Otis, Clifford, Brian, Max.
The forgotten Salemās: Salem is such a prolific place name! There are cities called Salem in Canada, Germany, Israel, India, Sweden, the UK, Burma, Spain, Indonesia, and South Africa. In the United States alone there are over 30 cities in different states called Salem. I think itās so interesting that one event that couldāve happened anywhere in the colonies ātaintedā such a prolific place name.
Meaning: Salem is Hebrew in origin and means ācomplete, safe, peace/peaceful.ā Such a great name meaning! Itās also part of Jerusalem, making it a biblical adjacent name. This is highlighted in How I Named My Baby Salem Tate
Popularity: Salem has been steadily rising in the US charts since 2019. For girls itās #453 and #680 for boys. If it gets more popular, would knowing someone in real life make the negative associations fade? Even just a little?
Iād love to hear your thoughts! Are there any polarizing names you like? Should we give names like Salem, Lilith, Cain, Leda, Delilah, Bathsheba be given a chance to rise above their negative associations?
I just came to say I agree. [name_u]Salem[/name_u] is a lovely name, despite the assocation I think it has everything else going for it. & good point about [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] and [name_f]Delilah[/name_f].
I think if I met a [name_u]Salem[/name_u], Iād be able to disassociate it from its history (in name form) and associate with the person. It is an appealing and distinctive sounding name
Iāve met several Cains/Kanes, a few Delilahs too!
I like it, darkness and all. The sound, the earthiness, the levity, and the nickname potential of [name_f]Sally[/name_f], one of the sweetest ever!? Itās a recipe for a great name.
Itās definitely one marked by historyāyes, that is clear to see. I donāt find that the Witch Trials render the name unusable. That saidā¦ I am no [name_u]Salem[/name_u] expert. As far as my knowledge extends, the name feels macabre and witty, novel and sharp.
This is a woefully sour and close-minded take. The internet at large can be quite a place for themā¦ I hope you wonāt let it deter you.
Also, FWIWā¦ āwitch sh!tā is cool.
Iāve loved [name_u]Salem[/name_u] for a long time, although now I think I prefer the sal-EM pronunciation, which hopefully would help to separate the name from the witch trials. Itās a famous story in my family that when my mom told her mother that she intended to name a girl [name_u]Abby[/name_u], my nanaās response was that she absolutely couldnāt because āthatās the wicked little girl from The Crucible.ā
(my name is [name_u]Abby[/name_u] and my nana denies this comment to this day)
I think if someone chose the name [name_u]Salem[/name_u] because of the witch trials or to invoke something āwitchyā Iād find that a bit dubious and honestly disrespectful to the people killed in the trials. But liking the name in general I donāt see a problem with, especially as it has pleasant roots in the Hebrew. [Source: I have postgrad qualifications in the history of witchcraft!]
Iām not religious myself so canāt really speak to the biblical names youāve mentioned but I think it all depends on motivation and context.
I love [name_u]Salem[/name_u]! I think itās a beautiful name, in all its pronunciations. It does make me think of the trials, but Iām aware that thatās not the only association and I wouldnāt meet a [name_u]Salem[/name_u] and think they were named after the witch trials, so in my eyes itās fine!
(Sidenote, I also love [name_u]Salem[/name_u] the cat - in my case from [name_f]Sabrina[/name_f]: The Animated Series from 1999. He was my first introduction to the name so Iāll always think of him too, but I think thatās a positive association, he was my favourite character!)
salem is such a lovely name, at least for me!
my first association with salem is the place in massachusetts, which leads me to thinking about halloween, because in salem they hold a bunch of cool hallowen fests! i never neccesarily think the salem witch trials, which might be unusual becsuse the witch trials were held right in the place where associate it with.
i definitely agree with your takes, though i do find salem to have an edgy vibe, but not neccesarily enough to fit this description:
since its climbing up in popularity, i find the name usable!
I do like it but the witch connection is strong and it just feels like a much better animal name to me. I can definitely see it on a person just not a child Im naming.
I think the issue stems from the fact that when you say [name_u]Valentine[/name_u], most peopleās thoughts would go to the holiday. When you say [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], people might think of the [name_f]Disney[/name_f] princess. Whereas [name_u]Salem[/name_u] has one, overwhelming association - the [name_u]Salem[/name_u] witch trials in MA.
It does feel like something an edgy teenager would like. I canāt say Iām too fond of the pronunciation either - itās the sail sound.
There is also the Arabic name [name_u]Salem[/name_u], but thatās a) strictly masculine b) pronounced SA-leem, and usually transcribed as [name_u]Salim[/name_u].
In my eyes the [name_u]Salem[/name_u] Witch Trials is a very strong association with [name_u]Salem[/name_u]. Honestly, itās the only thing I think about when I hear [name_u]Salem[/name_u]. I donāt think about the other events at all when I hear [name_u]Dawson[/name_u], [name_u]Valentine[/name_u], etc. So indeed those names arenāt ruined for me.
I donāt know [name_u]Salem[/name_u] the cat and I donāt think itās a problematic association. It might even help to make the [name_u]Salem[/name_u] Witch Trials less dominant.
I didnāt know so many plaves are called [name_u]Salem[/name_u].
I love the beautiful meaning of [name_u]Salem[/name_u].
To me, knowing people with a certain names always helps me get used to it. I think the increasing popularity will soften the negative connections.
For me, [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] is a good example of a name which popularity has already faided the associations.
I watch this family on YouTube and they have a son named [name_u]Salem[/name_u] so I think itās been super normalized for me. I think it has a nice sound.
Interesting questions. Iām all for ātaking back the namesā like [name_u]Amos[/name_u] and [name_f]Jemima[/name_f], which were simply beautiful Biblical names that got used wrong/badly.
[name_u]Salem[/name_u] is a place name and I tend to love place names.
I donāt know the show or cat, but I love cats and cat associations (Calico, [name_f]Tabby[/name_f], etc.).
[name_f]My[/name_f] question has always been, for what gender? Naming a male [name_u]Salem[/name_u] feels off to me as I associate [name_u]Salem[/name_u] and witch trials with misogyny. Yet naming a female [name_u]Salem[/name_u] seems to set her up with a negative association.
She could be named [name_u]Salem[/name_u] and called [name_f]Selah[/name_f].
[name_u]Or[/name_u] I suppose a male could be named [name_u]Salem[/name_u] and called [name_m]Lem[/name_m].
Iām not keen on [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f], [name_f]Eurydice[/name_f], [name_f]Persephone[/name_f], etc. so this name is not my cup of tea, but I do think itās usable if loved by someone like you.
I like [name_u]Salem[/name_u] when pronounced like in [name_u]Jerusalem[/name_u] - Sah-lem - because then I immediately think āpeaceā
But when pronounced say-lum like the place to me it loses the peace meaning and just has the witches trial connotation.
I have friends called Salaam (pronounced suh-lem) and [name_f]Salome[/name_f] which are alternatives that lose the witch connotations (although [name_f]Salome[/name_f] brings itās own connotations)
