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

Selassie, 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 Selassie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Selassie in America

Selassie is the 73666th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Selassie surname appeared 263 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 Selassie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Selassie 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 Selassie

The surname "SELASSIE" has its origins in Ethiopia, and it can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Amharic phrase "Tsum Haezat" which means "power of the Trinity." The name is closely associated with the Solomonic dynasty, a royal line that ruled Ethiopia for several centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Kebre Negest, an ancient text that chronicles the history of the Solomonic dynasty. The name gained prominence during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie I, who ruled Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. Haile Selassie I, born Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), was a prominent figure in Ethiopian history and is revered by followers of the Rastafarian faith.

In addition to Haile Selassie I, other notable individuals with the surname SELASSIE include Zera Yacob Selassie (1599-1692), a renowned Ethiopian philosopher and theologian, and Prince Sahle Selassie Haile Selassie (1831-1847), who was a claimant to the Ethiopian throne during the Zemene Mesafint period.

The name SELASSIE has also been adopted by some members of the Rastafarian movement, particularly those who believe in the divinity of Haile Selassie I. Some examples of Rastafarians with the surname SELASSIE include Bob Selassie (1940-2015), a Jamaican reggae musician, and Judy Selassie, a Jamaican artist and activist.

Another individual with the surname SELASSIE was Abuna Selama Kesatochristos Selassie (1841-1924), an Ethiopian cleric who served as the Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church from 1917 until his death.

While the surname SELASSIE is primarily associated with Ethiopia and the Solomonic dynasty, it has also been adopted by individuals and families in other parts of the world, particularly among communities with ties to the Rastafarian faith or those with an interest in Ethiopian culture and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Selassie

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

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 Selassie 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 Selassie 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 Selassie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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