Explore the Family Name Seltzer
The meaning of Seltzer
1. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for an extractor or seller of salt, from an agent derivative of Middle High German salz, German Salz ‘salt’. See also Selcer and Selser. 2. German: variant of Seltz.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Seltzer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Seltzer" decreased slightly between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Seltzer ranked as the 7,214th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had dropped to 7,856th. During the same period, the count of people with the Seltzer surname decreased by 1.31%, from 4,269 to 4,213. The proportion of people named Seltzer per 100,000 residents also saw a decrease of 9.49%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,214 | #7,856 | -8.9% |
| Count | 4,269 | 4,213 | -1.31% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.58 | 1.43 | -9.49% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Seltzer
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows interesting changes for individuals with the Seltzer surname. The percentage of Seltzers identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 44.44% between 2000 and 2010, while those identifying with two or more races increased by 41.57%. The majority of Seltzers, however, identified as White, although this percentage did decrease slightly from 90.3% to 88.49%. There were also increases in the percentages identifying as Hispanic and Black, with rises of 16.29% and 17.01% respectively. Conversely, the proportion of Seltzers identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native experienced a significant drop of 53.85%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.3% | 88.49% | -2% |
| Black | 6.23% | 7.29% | 17.01% |
| Hispanic | 1.78% | 2.07% | 16.29% |
| Two or More Races | 0.89% | 1.26% | 41.57% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.78% | 44.44% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.26% | 0.12% | -53.85% |
Seltzer ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Seltzer is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 36.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.2%) and British & Irish (22.8%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Scandinavian.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 36.1% |
| French & German | 23.2% |
| British & Irish | 22.8% |
| Other | 17.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Seltzer
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Seltzer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 55.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 55.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 55.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 54.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 54.20% |
What Seltzer haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Seltzer is J-M304, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M304 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and I-M170, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bard, Khalsa, Weitz, Hermann, Adams, Small, Black, Clarke, Smith, Stark.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Seltzer surname are: M, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304
Your paternal lineage may be linked to some of the first farmers
It was in the heart of the Middle East, soon after the Ice Age drew to a close 12,500 years ago, that humans first learned to domesticate cereals and livestock and completely transformed their way of life. They began to live more sedentary lives in closer proximity to one another. With greater resources, cultures in the Fertile Crescent made technological advances more rapidly than ever before. Farming was such a successful strategy that populations boomed, sparking waves of migration into Europe about 8,000 years ago. Men bearing haplogroup J were among the drivers of this innovation, and were also among the first waves to spread the new technology across the continents.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Seltzer have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Seltzer" Surname 41.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Seltzer" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Seltzer" Surname 20.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Seltzer" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Seltzer?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Seltzer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition