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

Selph, 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 Selph surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Selph in America

Selph is the 10787th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Selph surname appeared 2,957 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Selph.

We can also compare 2010 data for Selph 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 Selph

The surname Selph is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "self" or "selfe," which referred to an individual or one's self.

One of the earliest known records of the Selph name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the 13th century, where it was spelled as "Self." This suggests that the name may have originated in the Gloucestershire region of England.

The Selph surname is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive name, likely referring to someone who was independent, self-reliant, or perhaps even self-centered. It could also have been used as a nickname for someone who was particularly self-aware or introspective.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Selfe" and "Selfes," in records from counties like Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. This indicates that the surname had spread across different regions of England by that time.

One notable early bearer of the Selph surname was John Selfe, who was recorded in the Proceedings of the Old Bailey in 1678 for a theft case in London. Another individual, Thomas Selph, was mentioned in the parish records of Edgbaston, Warwickshire, in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Selph surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland Selph (1715-1785), a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset.

Another significant figure bearing the Selph name was William Selph (1782-1848), an English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and engravings of rural scenes.

During the 19th century, the Selph surname was carried by individuals such as Mary Ann Selph (1815-1890), a British writer and poet who published works on religious themes, and John Selph (1820-1892), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire.

It is important to note that the Selph surname, while relatively uncommon, has been present throughout various regions of England for several centuries, with records spanning from the medieval period to the modern era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Selph

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

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

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

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