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

Selma, 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 Selma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Selma in America

Selma is the 118853rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Selma surname appeared 146 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Selma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Selma 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 Selma

The surname Selma is believed to have originated in Sweden during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Norse words "salr" meaning "hall" and "mær" meaning "maiden" or "young woman." The name likely referred to a woman who lived or worked in a grand hall or estate.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Selma can be found in Swedish parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries. For example, there is a record of a Karin Selma born in Västra Götaland County in 1587.

The name appears to have been concentrated in certain regions of Sweden, particularly in the western and southern parts of the country. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Selm, Selmaa, and Selman.

In the late 18th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940), a Swedish author and the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909. Her works, including the novels "Gösta Berling's Saga" and "The Wonderful Adventures of Nils," brought the name Selma into the international spotlight.

Another notable individual with the surname Selma was Selma Borg (1919-1998), a Swedish film and stage actress who appeared in several popular movies during the mid-20th century.

In the field of science, the name is associated with Selma Lagerlöf (1896-1968), a Swedish botanist and pioneer in the study of plant ecology. She conducted extensive research on the vegetation of the Scandinavian mountain ranges.

Beyond Sweden, the surname Selma has also been found in other parts of Europe, such as Norway and Finland, possibly due to migration patterns or cultural exchanges. For instance, there is a record of a Finnish writer named Selma Anttila (1901-1991) who published works in both Finnish and Swedish.

While the name Selma has its roots in Scandinavia, it has gained recognition worldwide through these and other notable individuals, each contributing to the rich tapestry of history and culture associated with this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Selma

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

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

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

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