Explore the Family Name Selwyn
The meaning of Selwyn
English (Gloucestershire): 1. from the Middle English personal name Selewin(e) (Old English Selewine, perhaps from sele ‘hall’ or sǣl ‘happiness, prosperity’ + wine ‘friend’). 2. of Norman origin, perhaps from the Middle English and Old French personal name Selvein, Silvein (from Latin Silvanus, an adjective from silva ‘woodland’), with vocalization of /v/ to /w/, possibly through influence of the name above. In Anglo-Norman usage both Selvein and Silvester were sometimes Latinized as Salvagius ‘wild, savage’ (see Sylvester and Savage), though whether the vernacular surnames were ever interchangeable is a question for further research.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Selwyn in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Selwyn saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 48,963 in popularity and fell to 52,482 by 2010, marking a decline of 7.19 percent. The total count of individuals with this last name also dropped by 2.23 percent from 404 in 2000 to 395 in 2010. Furthermore, the proportion per 100,000 people of this surname decreased by 13.33 percent over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #48,963 | #52,482 | -7.19% |
| Count | 404 | 395 | -2.23% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.13 | -13.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Selwyn
On the other hand, the ethnic identity associated with the surname Selwyn experienced some shifts as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. While the largest ethnicity group remained White at 70.89 percent in 2010 (down slightly from 72.03 percent in 2000), there were notable changes among other groups. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation nearly doubled from 2.72 percent in 2000 to 5.06 percent in 2010, and the Hispanic group grew by 53.54 percent. However, the percentage of those identifying with two or more races saw a significant drop of 51.78 percent. Meanwhile, the American Indian and Alaskan Native group observed a negligible decrease of 2.39 percent, and the Black representation also declined by 12.14 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.03% | 70.89% | -1.58% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 16.34% | 15.95% | -2.39% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.72% | 5.06% | 86.03% |
| Hispanic | 2.97% | 4.56% | 53.54% |
| Two or More Races | 4.21% | 2.03% | -51.78% |
| Black | 1.73% | 1.52% | -12.14% |