2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Selb
A variant of the Germanic surname Selb, possibly referring to a geographical place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Selb. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Selb surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Selb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Selb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Selb
The surname SELB is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, where it was derived from the Old German word "selp," meaning "self" or "independent."
During the Middle Ages, the name SELB was predominantly found in the areas around the city of Leipzig, which was a thriving trade center at the time. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in local parish records and municipal documents from the 13th and 14th centuries.
One notable historical reference to the name SELB comes from the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents related to the region of Saxony. This collection includes several charters and deeds from the 15th century that mention individuals with the surname SELB.
The earliest known bearer of the name SELB was Hans Selb, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Grimma, near Leipzig, in the late 15th century. Another prominent individual was Johann Selb, a Lutheran theologian and author who lived in the 16th century and wrote several influential works on religious doctrine.
In the 17th century, the SELB surname gained further recognition with the rise of Andreas Selb, a renowned painter and engraver who was born in Nuremberg in 1604. His skillful depictions of religious and mythological scenes were highly regarded throughout Europe.
Another notable figure bearing the SELB name was Friedrich Selb, a German composer and organist who lived in the 18th century. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the Baroque music style, particularly in the field of organ compositions.
During the 19th century, the name SELB became associated with the town of the same name in Bavaria, which was known for its porcelain manufacturing industry. Several members of the SELB family were involved in this trade, including Johann Selb, a prominent porcelain maker who established a successful factory in the town in the early 1800s.
Over the centuries, the SELB surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Selbe, Selben, and Selber, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic changes within the German-speaking regions. Despite these variations, the name has retained its distinctive character and continues to be a part of Germany's rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Selb
Among Census respondents with the surname Selb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Selb bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Selb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Selb
Selb appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-17 bearers (-13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,939 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.2%) | Down 23,939 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 758 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Selb surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #147,253 | #146,495 | 0.5% |
| Count | 112 | 114 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Selb bearers went from 112 to 114 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 758 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #146,495.
FAQ
Selb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Selb?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Selb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Selb?
Selb ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Selb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Selb.
Has Selb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Selb went from 112 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Selb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Selb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Selb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Selb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (5.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Selb (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Selb mean?
A variant of the Germanic surname Selb, possibly referring to a geographical place name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Selb (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Selb?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.