Selleck
A masculine name derived from the French word "sellier" meaning saddler or harness maker.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Selleck. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Selleck today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Selleck births was 2018 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Selleck. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Selleck. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2018
6 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2018 SSA rank
#11,895
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Selleck: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Selleck 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 Selleck during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Selleck
The given name Selleck is of English origin, and its roots can be traced back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "sele," which means "hall" or "dwelling place," and the suffix "-oc," which is a diminutive form indicating something small or little. This combination suggests that the name was likely initially used to refer to a person who lived in or was associated with a small dwelling or hall.
The earliest recorded use of the name Selleck dates back to the late 12th century, where it appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1194 as "Seloc." Over the centuries, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Selok," "Selloc," and eventually settling on the modern form, "Selleck."
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Selleck was Sir John Selleck, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for Somersetshire in 1336 and played a significant role in the local governance of the region.
In the 16th century, another notable figure was Robert Selleck, an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1555 during the reign of Queen Mary I for his religious beliefs. His steadfast adherence to his faith and willingness to sacrifice his life for his convictions have made him a revered figure among some Christian denominations.
During the 17th century, Captain John Selleck gained recognition for his role in the English Civil War. He served as a Parliamentary officer and was instrumental in several key battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645, where he played a significant part in securing the victory for the Parliamentarian forces.
In more recent history, one of the most famous individuals with the name Selleck is the American actor Tom Selleck, born in 1945. Known for his roles in popular television series such as "Magnum, P.I." and "Blue Bloods," Selleck has become a household name and a cultural icon, particularly for his portrayal of the charming and rugged private investigator Thomas Magnum.
Another notable individual with the name Selleck is David Selleck, an American businessman and philanthropist born in 1949. He is the founder and former CEO of Flour Corporation, a leading provider of industrial services, and has been actively involved in various charitable organizations, including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
People
Selleck + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Selleck 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
Selleck: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Selleck?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Selleck 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Selleck a common name?
We classify Selleck as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Selleck most popular?
The single biggest year for Selleck was 2018, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Selleck is about 8 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 Selleck in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Selleck a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Selleck 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 Selleck still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Selleck 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 Selleck 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 share the name Selleck?
You can see how many people share the name Selleck on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.