Meaning: Its source is shalom, a Hebrew name meaning "Peace."

In French, this name is spelled with an accent -- Salomé.

Languages: This girl's name is used in Hebrew, German, English and French.

Variant Forms: Salomi

Non-English Forms: Salomea

Source Forms: Shlomit

Popularity: The name Salome ranked 2305th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Narrative: The identification of this name with one of the women who discovered Christ's empty tomb on Easter morning might have assured its use throughout the Christian world. However, when the ancient Jewish historian Josephus was read together with the Gospel of Mark, it appeared that Salome was also the name of the Jewish princess who danced to please her father, and asked for the head of John the Baptist as a reward. Thus the use of the name became taboo.

It was left to taboo-breaker Oscar Wilde to retell the dancing Salome's story in his 1893 play, and so reintroduce the name to the 20th century, a century in which taboo-breaking has become something of an international pastime.