Explore the Family Name Sellen

The meaning of Sellen

1. German: possibly a habitational name from a place so called in Westphalia. 2. Swedish (Sellén): ornamental name probably formed with the placename element sel ‘stretch of smooth water’ + the suffix -én, a derivative of Latin -enius. 3. English (Kent): habitational name from Selling or Sellindge (both Kent), though the distribution suggests that the former is the more likely source of the surname. Both placenames probably mean ‘the companions, the people who share a dwelling’, from Old English setl, sedl ‘abode, dwelling’ + the groupname suffix -ingas.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Sellen in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Sellen' has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 'Sellen' was ranked 45,482 in terms of commonality which dropped to 51,176 in 2010, representing a decrease of 12.52%. The total count of individuals with this surname also fell from 443 in 2000 to 407 in 2010, marking an 8.13% drop. Consequently, the proportion per 100k also experienced a dip by 12.5%.

20002010Change
Rank#45,482#51,176-12.52%
Count443407-8.13%
Proportion per 100k0.160.14-12.5%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sellen

As per the ethnic identity distribution for the surname 'Sellen', the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that a large majority identify as White, although there's been a slight decrease from 94.13% in 2000 to 90.17% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase from 3.16% in 2000 to 6.14% in 2010. The 'Two or more races' category also rose considerably by 70.89%, from 1.58% in 2000 to 2.70% in 2010. No changes were observed for the categories Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White94.13%90.17%-4.21%
Hispanic3.16%6.14%94.3%
Two or More Races1.58%2.7%70.89%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%