2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Seldal
A toponymic surname derived from a location name, possibly an English place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Seldal. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seldal 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Seldal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seldal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seldal
The surname SELDAL is believed to have originated in Norway during the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from an Old Norse word meaning "seal valley" or "seal dale", likely referring to a geographic location where seals were commonly found.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SELDAL can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval documents dating back to the 12th century. In a document from 1287, a person named Thorvald Seldal is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
During the 14th century, the SELDAL name appears to have spread from its origins in western Norway to other parts of the country. Records from this time period show variations in spelling, such as Seldahl and Selldal.
A notable figure bearing the SELDAL name was Ingrid Seldal (1456-1512), a prominent landowner and businesswoman in the town of Trondheim. She was known for her involvement in the local fishing and trading industries.
In the 16th century, the SELDAL name can be found in several Norwegian genealogical records and census documents. One such record from 1587 mentions a farmer named Bjorn Seldal, who lived in the village of Seljord.
Another noteworthy individual was Nils Seldal (1672-1745), a respected scholar and theologian who served as a pastor in the town of Bergen. He was known for his writings on religious philosophy and his efforts in promoting education.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the SELDAL name continued to be associated with various locations across Norway, including the towns of Haugesund, Stavanger, and Kristiansand. Several individuals with this surname were involved in maritime trades, fishing, and seafaring professions.
One such person was Amund Seldal (1789-1862), a skilled shipwright and boat builder who worked in the coastal town of Egersund. His craftsmanship and expertise in ship construction were highly regarded in the region.
Throughout its history, the SELDAL name has maintained a strong presence in Norway, with many individuals bearing this surname making significant contributions to various fields, including agriculture, education, religion, and maritime industries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seldal
Among Census respondents with the surname Seldal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Seldal 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 Seldal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 106
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seldal
Seldal 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+10 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 250 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-19 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.2%) | Down 250 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 18,174 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 Seldal 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 | #129,047 | #147,221 | -14.1% |
| Count | 132 | 113 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seldal bearers went from 132 to 113 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 18,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #147,221.
FAQ
Seldal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seldal?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Seldal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Seldal?
Seldal ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Seldal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Seldal.
Has Seldal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seldal went from 132 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Seldal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seldal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Seldal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seldal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Seldal (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 Seldal mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a location name, possibly an English place. 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 Seldal (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 people have the last name Seldal?
Want to know how many people are called Seldal? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.