Find out how popular the last name Sela is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sela.

Sela, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sela in America

Sela is the 42237th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sela surname appeared 514 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sela to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sela

The surname SELA has its origins in the Czech Republic, and is believed to have first emerged in the late 15th century. It is derived from the Czech word "selak", which referred to a person who resided in a small rural settlement or village. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname given to someone who lived in a hamlet or a secluded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SELA can be found in the Bohemian Land Registers of 1492, where a certain Jan Sela is mentioned as a landowner in the region of Moravia. However, variations of the spelling, such as "Selak" and "Selay", can be traced back even further to the 14th century.

The name SELA has been associated with several notable historical figures over the centuries. In the 16th century, a Jesuit priest named Tomas Sela played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation movement in Bohemia. He was known for his passionate sermons and his efforts to promote Catholicism in the region.

In the 18th century, a famous Czech composer and violinist named Jan Antonin Sela gained recognition for his contributions to the development of classical music. His works were widely performed in the courts of European nobility, and he is considered one of the most influential Czech musicians of his time.

Another individual of note was Katerina Sela, a Czech painter and illustrator who lived in the late 19th century. She was renowned for her intricate portraiture and her ability to capture the essence of her subjects on canvas. Several of her works are currently housed in prestigious art galleries across Europe.

In the early 20th century, a Czech novelist named Karel Sela gained critical acclaim for his literary works that explored themes of identity, social justice, and the human condition. His novels were widely read and translated into multiple languages, solidifying his place in the literary canon of his time.

The surname SELA has also been linked to various place names throughout the Czech Republic, such as the village of Sela in the Vysočina Region, and the town of Selany in the Central Bohemian Region. These place names may have influenced the formation and spread of the surname in certain areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sela

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sela.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sela was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sela has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sela was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sela, please contact us.

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