2000
#7,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,902
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Selman
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "hall of the retainers or tenants."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,343 Americans carry the last name Selman. That puts it at #8,372 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Selman 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 Selman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 78,921
Census rank
#8,372
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,787 bearers of the surname Selman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8372nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Selman, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Selman
The surname Selman is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English personal name Seleman, which is a combination of the elements "sele" meaning "hall" or "dwelling" and "man" meaning "man."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Selman surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Salman" and "Selman." This suggests that the name was already established in certain regions of England by the time of the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the Selman surname is recorded in various medieval records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Selman" in counties such as Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. This indicates that the name was prevalent in these areas during that time period.
The Selman surname is also closely associated with various place names in England, such as Selmeston in Sussex and Selmire in Northumberland. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname, further solidifying its connection to the region.
One notable individual with the Selman surname was Sir Ralph Selman (c. 1350-1418), a prominent English knight and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in the early 15th century.
Another significant figure was Thomas Selman (c. 1555-1623), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Cambridge from 1609 until his death.
In the 17th century, John Selman (1633-1688) was a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of calculus and the study of planetary motion.
During the 18th century, Elizabeth Selman (1707-1768) was a notable English author and poet, known for her works that explored themes of nature and spirituality.
In the 19th century, William Selman (1825-1901) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Natural History Museum.
These examples demonstrate the longevity and historical significance of the Selman surname, which has been present in England for centuries and has been associated with various notable individuals throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Selman
Among Census respondents with the surname Selman, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Selman 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 Selman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 3,085
- Black or African American9.0% · 341
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 189
- Two or more races3.5% · 132
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Selman
Selman 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
#7,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,228
+326 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Up 33 places
2020
#8,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,787
-441 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 541 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,864 | 3,902 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,831 | 4,228 | 1.43 | +326 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 33 places |
| 2020 | #8,372 | 3,787 | 1.27 | -441 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 541 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 Selman 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 | #7,831 | #8,372 | -6.9% |
| Count | 4,228 | 3,787 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.43 | 1.27 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Selman bearers went from 4,228 to 3,787 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 541 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,831 to #8,372.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Selman
FAQ
Selman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Selman?
Name Census estimates that about 4,343 living Americans carry the surname Selman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,921 residents.
How common is Selman?
Selman ranks #8,372 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,787 people with the surname Selman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,343), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Selman.
Has Selman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Selman went from 4,228 recorded bearers to 3,787. That is a decrease of 441 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,831 to #8,372.
What does the Census say about the background of Selman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Selman, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Selman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (3,085 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Selman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Black (9.0%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Selman (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 Selman mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "hall of the retainers or tenants." 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 Selman (1.27 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 Selman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.