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

Selleck, 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 Selleck surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Selleck in America

Selleck is the 16809th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Selleck surname appeared 1,698 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Selleck.

We can also compare 2010 data for Selleck 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 Selleck

The surname Selleck originated in England, with its earliest roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sael" (hall) and "wic" (dwelling), suggesting it may have initially referred to someone who lived in a hall or manor house.

One of the earliest known references to the name Selleck can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Salewic" in Suffolk. This suggests the name was already in use in England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the surname began appearing in various spellings, such as Sellock, Sellok, and Selloke, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. Some records from this period indicate the name may have been associated with certain locations, such as Sellack in Herefordshire or Selworthy in Somerset.

In the 14th century, the name Selleck gained prominence with the birth of John Selleck (c. 1330-1400), a prominent landowner and knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. His descendants continued to hold significant estates in various parts of England over the following centuries.

Another notable figure was Sir William Selleck (1590-1657), a member of the English gentry and a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War. He was knighted by King Charles I in 1641 for his loyal service.

In the 18th century, the Reverend Nathaniel Selleck (1714-1785) was a respected clergyman and author, known for his religious writings and sermons published during his lifetime.

The 19th century saw the birth of James Selleck (1827-1899), a prominent businessman and entrepreneur who made his fortune in the textile industry in Lancashire, England.

Across the Atlantic, the name also has a history in the United States, with records showing Sellecks settling in New England as early as the 17th century. One of the earliest known was David Selleck (1648-1717), a farmer and landowner in Stamford, Connecticut.

Throughout its long history, the surname Selleck has maintained a strong presence in various parts of the English-speaking world, with notable individuals continuing to carry on the legacy of this ancient name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Selleck

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

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

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

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