Selig
A German name meaning "blessed" or "prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Selig. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Selig today is around 91 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Selig births was 1925 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Selig. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Selig is about 91 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Seligs were born before 1945.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Selig. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1925
15 babies that year
Average age
91
years old
1938 SSA rank
#3,957
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Selig: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Selig from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 80 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Selig by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Selig during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Seligs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Selig
The name Selig originates from the German language and is derived from the Old High German word "salig," which means "blessed" or "happy." It has its roots in the Germanic tribes that inhabited Central Europe during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded use of the name Selig can be traced back to the 9th century, when it appeared in various Germanic texts and records. It gained widespread popularity during the medieval period, particularly among German-speaking communities.
One of the earliest and most notable historical references to the name Selig can be found in the Heliand, an Old Saxon epic poem from the 9th century, which retells the life of Jesus Christ in an alliterative verse style. In this text, the name Selig is used to describe the state of blessedness and joy experienced by those who follow the teachings of Christ.
Throughout history, several prominent individuals have borne the name Selig. One of the earliest recorded was Selig of Cologne, a Christian martyr who lived in the 4th century and was executed for his faith during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
In the 12th century, a German mystic and theologian, Selig of Bamberg, gained recognition for his teachings and writings on the spiritual life. He was known for his devotion to the Virgin Mary and his efforts to promote the veneration of the Holy Cross.
During the Renaissance period, Selig Hirsch Margulies, a Jewish scholar and philosopher from Krakow, Poland (1591-1662), made significant contributions to the study of Jewish law and ethics. His works, such as "Shenot Chayim" (Years of Life), explored the relationship between Jewish tradition and the emerging scientific discoveries of the time.
In the 19th century, Selig Sossnitz (1818-1900), a German-Jewish businessman and philanthropist, became known for his charitable efforts in supporting education and social welfare initiatives in his hometown of Dresden, Germany.
More recently, Selig Schwartz (1923-2010), an American businessman and sports executive, gained recognition as the former owner of the Atlanta Braves baseball team and for his efforts in promoting the growth of Major League Baseball in the United States.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Selig, a name that reflects a sense of blessedness, happiness, and joy, rooted in its Germanic origins.
People
Selig + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Selig as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Selig: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Selig?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Selig going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Selig a common name?
We classify Selig as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 154 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Selig most popular?
The single biggest year for Selig was 1925, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Selig is about 91 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Selig in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Selig a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Selig in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Selig still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Selig in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Selig can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Selig?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.