2000
#3,992
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,165
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.03
Rare Last name
Sells
An occupational surname referring to a person who sells goods, often a merchant or trader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,088 Americans carry the last name Sells. That puts it at #4,327 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,715 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sells 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 Sells with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.1K
1 in 37,715
Census rank
#4,327
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,925 bearers of the surname Sells in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4327th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sells, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sells
The surname SELLS originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'sellan', which means 'to sell' or 'to give'. The name likely referred to someone who worked as a merchant or trader.
The earliest recorded instance of the name SELLS dates back to the 13th century in the county of Yorkshire. In 1275, a man named Roger Sells was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls, an important census record from that time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Selle, Selles, and Sellys. These variations were common due to the inconsistent spelling practices of the era. One notable example is John Selles, who was recorded in the Gloucestershire Subsidy Rolls of 1327.
The SELLS surname has connections to several place names in England, including Sells Green in Worcestershire and Sells Park in Hertfordshire. These locations may have derived their names from individuals bearing the SELLS surname who once lived or owned land there.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the SELLS surname. One of the earliest was Sir John Sells (1520-1588), an English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure was William Sells (1684-1745), a British architect and surveyor who designed several churches and country houses in the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, Isaac Sells (1802-1889) was a prominent American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Sells Brothers Circus, one of the earliest and most successful circuses in the United States.
John Sells (1847-1920) was a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 1917.
One of the most famous individuals with the SELLS surname was Curt Sells (1923-2008), an American actor and stuntman who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout the 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sells
Among Census respondents with the surname Sells, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sells 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 Sells surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.6% · 6,073
- Black or African American10.4% · 821
- Two or more races4.9% · 385
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 302
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.7% · 290
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sells
Sells 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
#4,110
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,633
+468 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 2.93
Rank movement Down 118 places
2020
#4,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,925
-708 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 2.65
Rank movement Down 217 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,992 | 8,165 | 3.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,110 | 8,633 | 2.93 | +468 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 118 places |
| 2020 | #4,327 | 7,925 | 2.65 | -708 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 217 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 Sells 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 | #4,110 | #4,327 | -5.3% |
| Count | 8,633 | 7,925 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.93 | 2.65 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sells bearers went from 8,633 to 7,925 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 217 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,110 to #4,327.
FAQ
Sells surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sells?
Name Census estimates that about 9,088 living Americans carry the surname Sells. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,715 residents.
How common is Sells?
Sells ranks #4,327 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.65 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 7,925 people with the surname Sells. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,088), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.65 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 Sells.
Has Sells become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sells went from 8,633 recorded bearers to 7,925. That is a decrease of 708 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,110 to #4,327.
What does the Census say about the background of Sells?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sells, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Sells in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.6% (6,073 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sells appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.6%), Black (10.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Sells (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 Sells mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who sells goods, often a merchant or trader. 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 Sells (2.65 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 have the last name Sells?
You can see how common the surname Sells is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.