2000
#3,089
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,747
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.98
Uncommon Last name
Sell
An occupational surname for a seller or merchant of goods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,483 Americans carry the last name Sell. That puts it at #3,476 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,849 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 29,849
Census rank
#3,476
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,014 bearers of the surname Sell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3476th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sell
The surname Sell is of Anglo-Saxon origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period in England. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "sellan," which means "to sell" or "to give." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a seller or merchant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Selle." This comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that time.
In the 13th century, the name Sell was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. Historical records from this period show variations in spelling, such as "Selle," "Selle," and "Selle," reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings before they became standardized.
One notable individual bearing the surname Sell was John Sell, a merchant and landowner who lived in the city of York in the late 14th century. Records indicate that he was a prominent figure in the local community and held significant property and business interests.
Another historical figure of note was Sir Thomas Sell, a knight who lived during the reign of Henry VIII in the 16th century. He is mentioned in chronicles of the time for his military service and his involvement in various campaigns and battles.
In the 17th century, the surname Sell was found in various parts of England, including the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Dorset. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Richard Sell, a scholar and clergyman who served as the Rector of Stourton in Wiltshire from 1623 until his death in 1658.
The 18th century saw the emergence of several individuals with the surname Sell who achieved some level of prominence. For example, William Sell (1698-1736) was a renowned architect and builder who was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in London, including the Radcliffe Camera at the University of Oxford.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Sell continued to be present in various regions of England, with some families moving to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world through emigration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sell
Among Census respondents with the surname Sell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sell 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 Sell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 9,302
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 289
- Two or more races2.5% · 254
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 72
- Black or African American0.6% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sell
Sell 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
#3,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,014
+267 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 3.73
Rank movement Down 191 places
2020
#3,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,014
-1,000 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 3.35
Rank movement Down 196 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,089 | 10,747 | 3.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,280 | 11,014 | 3.73 | +267 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 191 places |
| 2020 | #3,476 | 10,014 | 3.35 | -1,000 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 196 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 Sell 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 | #3,280 | #3,476 | -6.0% |
| Count | 11,014 | 10,014 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.73 | 3.35 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sell bearers went from 11,014 to 10,014 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 196 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,280 to #3,476.
FAQ
Sell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sell?
Name Census estimates that about 11,483 living Americans carry the surname Sell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,849 residents.
How common is Sell?
Sell ranks #3,476 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,014 people with the surname Sell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,483), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Sell.
Has Sell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sell went from 11,014 recorded bearers to 10,014. That is a decrease of 1,000 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,280 to #3,476.
What does the Census say about the background of Sell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Sell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (9,302 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Sell (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 Sell mean?
An occupational surname for a seller or merchant of goods. 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 Sell (3.35 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 share the surname Sell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.