2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sellie
An occupational surname derived from an Old French term meaning 'seller' or 'merchant'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Sellie. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sellie 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Sellie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sellie, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sellie
The surname SELLIE is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period in England. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'sele,' which means 'hall' or 'dwelling.' It is likely that the name was originally used to identify individuals who lived in or were associated with a particular hall or manor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SELLIE can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the SELLIE surname was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. The name appeared in various forms, such as Sellie, Selly, and Sely, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in that era.
Notable individuals bearing the SELLIE surname include Sir John Sellie (c. 1485-1558), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Norfolk. He served as a Justice of the Peace and was known for his involvement in local affairs. Another example is William Sellie (1582-1647), a clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.
In the 17th century, the SELLIE surname gained prominence in the city of London, where several members of the family were influential merchants and traders. One such individual was Robert Sellie (1620-1688), a successful merchant who served as a member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and was involved in the city's governance.
The SELLIE surname has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and literature. For instance, John Sellie (1708-1782) was an English playwright and poet who gained recognition for his satirical works critiquing the social and political climate of his time.
As the name continued to spread across England, it also found its way into various place names, such as Sellie's Farm in Hampshire and Sellie's Meadow in Oxfordshire, reflecting the historical presence of individuals bearing this surname in those areas.
Throughout its history, the SELLIE surname has maintained a presence in various parts of England, adapting to regional variations in spelling and pronunciation while retaining its distinct identity and connection to its medieval English origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sellie
Among Census respondents with the surname Sellie, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sellie 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 Sellie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.4% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino8.8% · 9
- Two or more races5.9% · 6
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sellie
Sellie 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,861 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-19 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,451 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,861 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 16,451 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 Sellie 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 | #138,304 | #154,755 | -11.9% |
| Count | 121 | 102 | -15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sellie bearers went from 121 to 102 (-15.7% change). The surname moved down 16,451 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #154,755.
FAQ
Sellie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sellie?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Sellie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Sellie?
Sellie ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Sellie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Sellie.
Has Sellie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sellie went from 121 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Sellie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sellie, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Sellie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sellie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.4%), Hispanic (8.8%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Sellie (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 Sellie mean?
An occupational surname derived from an Old French term meaning 'seller' or 'merchant'. 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 Sellie (0.03 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 Sellie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.