Selven
Possibly derived from the Latin "silva" meaning forest or woods.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Selven. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Selven today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Selven births was 1959 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Selven. 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 Selven is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Selvens were born before 1968.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Selven. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1959
5 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
1959 SSA rank
#4,489
Tracked since 1959
Popularity
Selven: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Selven 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 Selven during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Selven
The name Selven is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, spoken by the Germanic people who inhabited Scandinavia during the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries AD. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "silfr," which means silver, possibly referring to the color or brightness associated with the name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Selven was a Norwegian chieftain who lived in the 9th century. He is mentioned in the Icelandic sagas as a formidable warrior and leader during the Viking era. These sagas, which were written down in the 13th century, provide a glimpse into the use of the name during that time period.
In the 12th century, a monk named Selven is recorded as being part of the Benedictine order in England. He is noted for his contributions to the transcription of ancient manuscripts and his dedication to preserving the written word during a time when literacy was scarce.
During the Renaissance period, a Dutch painter named Selven van Ruyven (1564-1629) gained recognition for his vivid portraiture and landscapes. His works were highly sought after by the wealthy patrons of the Netherlands and have since become part of notable art collections around the world.
In the 18th century, a Scottish philosopher and writer named Selven MacLeod (1721-1788) made significant contributions to the Enlightenment movement with his writings on ethics, politics, and social reform. His ideas were influential in shaping the intellectual discourse of the time and challenging traditional modes of thought.
Another notable bearer of the name was Selven Karpov (1876-1962), a Russian revolutionary and political activist who played a pivotal role in the Bolshevik movement. He was a close associate of Vladimir Lenin and was involved in the planning and execution of the Russian Revolution of 1917, which ultimately led to the establishment of the Soviet Union.
People
Selven + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Selven 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
Selven: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Selven?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Selven 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Selven a common name?
We classify Selven as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Selven most popular?
The single biggest year for Selven was 1959, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Selven is about 68 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 Selven in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Selven a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Selven 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 Selven still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Selven 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 Selven 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 are called Selven?
You can see how many Americans are named Selven on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.