2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sellhausen
An ornamental German surname originating from a placename.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Sellhausen. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sellhausen 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Sellhausen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sellhausen, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sellhausen
The surname Sellhausen has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "sellen," meaning "to sell" or "to trade," and "hausen," which means "house" or "dwelling." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a merchant's residence or a place where goods were traded.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 14th century Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Westphalia, Germany. The name appears as "Sellhausen" in reference to a family living in a village near the town of Soest.
The Sellhausen name is also mentioned in the Wachtendonck Chronicle, a historical account of the region around Kleve, written in the late 15th century. This document records a Sellhausen family as landowners and prominent citizens in the area.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Sellhausen name was Johann Sellhausen (1525-1589), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and worked tirelessly to spread the teachings of the Reformation throughout Germany.
Another prominent individual was Konrad Sellhausen (1640-1701), a German painter and engraver who was active in the late 17th century. His works can be found in various museums and collections across Europe, showcasing his skill in portraiture and religious scenes.
The Sellhausen surname can also be traced back to the town of Sellhausen, located in the German state of Lower Saxony. This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Throughout history, the Sellhausen name has been associated with different professions and social classes, from merchants and tradesmen to landowners, artists, and scholars. Despite its diverse origins, the name has maintained a strong connection to its German roots and the regions where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sellhausen
Among Census respondents with the surname Sellhausen, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sellhausen 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 Sellhausen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sellhausen
Sellhausen appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 3,972 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 Sellhausen 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 | #154,907 | #150,935 | 2.6% |
| Count | 105 | 108 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sellhausen bearers went from 105 to 108 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 3,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #150,935.
FAQ
Sellhausen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sellhausen?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Sellhausen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Sellhausen?
Sellhausen ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Sellhausen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Sellhausen.
Has Sellhausen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sellhausen went from 105 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Sellhausen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sellhausen, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Sellhausen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sellhausen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Hispanic (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Sellhausen (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 Sellhausen mean?
An ornamental German surname originating from a placename. 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 Sellhausen (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 share the surname Sellhausen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.