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

Selstad, 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 Selstad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Selstad in America

Selstad is the 115639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Selstad surname appeared 151 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 Selstad.

We can also compare 2010 data for Selstad 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 Selstad

The surname SELSTAD has its origins in Norway, dating back to the Viking era around the 9th century AD. It is believed to have been derived from the Old Norse words "selr" meaning "seal" and "stadr" meaning "place" or "dwelling". This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where seals were commonly found or hunted.

One of the earliest known records of the SELSTAD name can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents from the 12th to the 16th centuries. In these documents, the name appears with various spellings such as "Selstader" and "Selstadyr".

During the Middle Ages, the SELSTAD name was most prevalent in the western regions of Norway, particularly in the counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. The name was often associated with coastal communities and fishing villages, reflecting the importance of the seal hunting industry in these areas.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the SELSTAD name was Knut Selstad, a Norwegian farmer and landowner from the village of Selstad in Hordaland. He played a significant role in the local community and his name is documented in land records from that time.

Another prominent individual was Ingrid Selstad, a Norwegian folk singer and composer who lived in the 18th century. She is renowned for her contributions to the preservation of traditional Norwegian folk music and her songs are still performed today.

In the 19th century, Olav Selstad was a respected sea captain who sailed for the Norsk Bjergnings Kompani, a Norwegian shipping company. His voyages took him to various ports around the world, and he became known for his skilled navigation and leadership.

During the early 20th century, the SELSTAD name gained recognition through the works of the Norwegian author and playwright, Sigrid Selstad. Born in 1892, she wrote several acclaimed novels and plays that explored themes of rural life and the struggles of the working class in Norway.

Throughout history, the SELSTAD name has also been associated with various place names in Norway, such as Selstadvatnet, a lake in the municipality of Kvinnherad, and Selstadfjorden, a fjord in the municipality of Masfjorden.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Selstad

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

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

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

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