Šelep last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Šelep

A surname likely derived from the German word "Seelsorger" meaning someone who cares for souls or a spiritual counselor.

Šelep, 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 Šelep surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Šelep in America

Šelep is the 147095th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Šelep surname appeared 103 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Šelep.

The history of the last name Šelep

The surname Selep finds its origin in Central and Eastern Europe, specifically within the regions that are part of modern-day Poland and Hungary. The name dates back to the medieval period, roughly around the 13th to 15th centuries. The origin of Selep is believed to stem from an old Slavic word related to "sel," which translates to 'village' or 'dwelling.' This could reference someone who lived in or was associated with a particular village or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Selep appears in medieval Polish manuscripts, particularly those detailing landownership and nobility. In a 14th-century land grant, a noble named Janusz Selep was mentioned as holding territories in what is today southeastern Poland. Such records offer glimpses into the movement and establishment of families bearing this name.

The variations in the spelling of Selep over centuries include Selip and Szelep, seen in various records. For instance, the name appears as Szelep in a 15th-century Hungarian tax document detailing the landholdings of a family by that name in Transylvania. This indicates the spread and regional adaptations of the surname.

Noteworthy individuals bearing the surname Selep include Miklós Szelep, a Hungarian nobleman born in 1445 and died in 1512, who held significant land and influence in the Kingdom of Hungary. In Poland, Katarzyna Selep, born in 1601 and died in 1657, was known for her charitable works and contributions to local monasteries. Records from the 17th-century Czech lands mention Josef Selep, born in 1620, a prominent merchant in Prague.

In the 18th century, a notable figure was Antoni Selep, a Polish military officer born in 1725 and who died in 1798, serving with distinction during the Bar Confederation against Russian influence. Also, in the field of literature, Mária Szelep, born in 1823 and died in 1885, was a Hungarian poet known for her emotional and patriotic verses.

The surname Selep, with its rich historical background and geographical spread, continues to be a testament to the enduring legacy of those who bore it throughout centuries in Central and Eastern Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Šelep

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

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 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Šelep was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.20% 96
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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.

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

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

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"Šelep last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 6, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/selep-surname-popularity/.

"Šelep last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/selep-surname-popularity/. Accessed 6 June, 2025

Šelep last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/selep-surname-popularity/.

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