Selinda
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly Latin meaning "bright", "splendid", or "shining".
Name Census estimates that about 376 living Americans carry the first name Selinda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Selinda today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Selinda births was 1961 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Selinda. 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.
People living today
376
~ 1 in 911,581 Americans
Peak year
1961
18 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
2008 SSA rank
#19,971
Tracked since 1946
Census
Selinda in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 458 people with the first name Selinda, which placed it at #21,926 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#21,926
National first-name rank
People counted
458
458 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
39.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Selinda
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Selinda is White at 39.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (33.4%) and Black (19.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Selinda described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Selinda at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White39.3% · 180
- Hispanic or Latino33.4% · 153
- Black or African American19.0% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 18
- Two or more races2.8% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 7
Popularity
Selinda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Selinda from the 1940s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 131 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Selinda 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 Selinda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Selindas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Selinda
The name Selinda has its roots in the ancient Sanskrit language, originating from the Indian subcontinent around the 5th century BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "selendra," which translates to "moon-like" or "radiant." This name was prevalent among the Vedic culture and early Hindu traditions, often associated with beauty, grace, and celestial connotations.
In ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas and Puranas, there are references to deities and celestial beings with names similar to Selinda, suggesting a connection to divine or mythological figures. One notable example is the goddess Selene, the personification of the moon in Greek mythology, whose name bears a striking resemblance to Selinda.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Selinda can be traced back to the 3rd century BCE in ancient Indian inscriptions and historical records. During this period, the name was primarily used by members of the aristocracy and ruling classes, reflecting its association with beauty and celestial symbolism.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Selinda. One of the earliest was Selinda Devi (c. 200 BCE), a renowned poet and scholar from the Mauryan Empire in ancient India. Her works were celebrated for their lyrical beauty and profound insights.
In the 7th century CE, Selinda Rani was a prominent ruler of the Chalukya dynasty in southern India, known for her patronage of arts and learning. Her reign was marked by cultural renaissance and architectural marvels, including the construction of magnificent temples.
Another notable figure was Selinda Kumari (1745-1820), a celebrated dancer and courtesan in the Mughal court of Emperor Shah Alam II. Her grace and artistry were widely admired, and she was a prominent figure in the cultural life of the Mughal empire.
During the 19th century, Selinda Bai (1830-1890) was a renowned Indian classical singer and performer from the Patiala Gharana (musical lineage). Her mastery of the Khyal and Thumri styles of Hindustani music earned her widespread acclaim and a prestigious place in the annals of Indian music history.
In the realm of literature, Selinda Kaur (1912-1986) was a prominent Punjabi poet and writer whose works explored themes of social justice, feminism, and the human condition. Her poetic oeuvre was celebrated for its depth, lyricism, and creative expression.
These examples showcase the rich history and cultural significance of the name Selinda, which has been borne by influential figures across various fields, from arts and literature to governance and spirituality, spanning centuries of Indian history and tradition.
People
Selinda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Selinda 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
Selinda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Selinda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 376 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Selinda 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 911,581 US residents.
Is Selinda a common name?
We classify Selinda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 452 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Selinda most popular?
The single biggest year for Selinda was 1961, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Selinda is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Selinda in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 458 people with the name Selinda, or 0.15 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #21,926 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Selinda in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Selinda?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Selinda appears almost entirely female. Of the 459 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Selinda?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Selinda is White at 39.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (33.4%) and Black (19.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Selinda most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Selinda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 39.3% (180 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Selinda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Selinda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Selinda in the SSA data are female. 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 Selinda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Selinda 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 Selinda 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.
How many people have Selinda as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.