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

Sellars, 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 Sellars surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sellars in America

Sellars is the 5576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sellars surname appeared 6,232 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Sellars.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sellars 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 Sellars

The surname Sellars has its origins in England, with roots that can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "sellan," which means "to sell" or "to give." This suggests that the name was originally an occupational surname given to those who worked as merchants or tradesmen.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval documents, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1197, where it appears as "Sellar." It is also mentioned in the Assize Court Rolls of Northumberland in 1279, written as "Sellare."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Sellars, who lived in Northamptonshire in the 13th century. Records from this time period often referred to individuals by their occupation or trade, lending credence to the idea that the Sellars name was associated with commerce.

The variant spelling "Sellars" became more prevalent in the 16th and 17th centuries. During this time, the name was found in various parts of England, including Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Northumberland. Notable individuals from this era include John Sellars, a merchant from Newcastle upon Tyne, who was born in 1580.

In the 18th century, the name Sellars was also present in Scotland, where it is believed to have been adopted by families who migrated from England. One notable Scottish figure was David Sellars, a mathematician and astronomer born in Fife in 1755.

As the centuries progressed, the Sellars surname spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who emigrated from Britain. One notable American bearer of the name was Wilbur Sellars, a renowned philosopher born in Huron, Michigan in 1912. He made significant contributions to the fields of metaphysics and epistemology.

Other notable individuals with the Sellars surname include Roy Sellars (1892-1973), an American actor and director; Peter Sellars (born 1957), an American theater director and filmmaker; and Andrew Sellars (born 1978), a British classical composer and conductor.

Throughout its history, the surname Sellars has maintained its connection to the world of commerce and trade, reflecting the occupational roots from which it originated centuries ago in medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sellars

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

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

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

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