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

Selvig, 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 Selvig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Selvig in America

Selvig is the 40672nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Selvig surname appeared 537 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 Selvig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Selvig 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 Selvig

The surname SELVIG originates from Norway and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse words 'sel' meaning 'hut' or 'shed' and 'vig' meaning 'bay' or 'inlet.' The name likely referred to someone who lived near a bay or inlet where there was a hut or shed.

The earliest known record of the name SELVIG can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and documents from the 12th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Thorstein Selvig, a farmer who lived in the village of Selvig on the island of Stord in the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name SELVIG appeared in the Codex Regius, an important manuscript containing Old Norse poetry and sagas. The manuscript mentions a character named Gunnar Selvig, who was said to be a skilled sailor and explorer.

During the 15th century, the SELVIG family became prominent landowners in the region of Hordaland, Norway. One notable member of the family was Ingrid Selvig, born in 1459, who was known for her philanthropic work and support of local churches and monasteries.

In the 16th century, the name SELVIG was found in the Gulating Law, a medieval Norwegian legal code. The law mentioned a dispute over land ownership between two individuals named Eirik Selvig and Olav Selvig.

Throughout the centuries, there have been several notable individuals with the surname SELVIG. These include Kristian Selvig (1800-1876), a Norwegian politician and member of the Storting (Norwegian parliament), and Nils Selvig (1840-1912), a renowned Norwegian painter and art teacher.

Another notable figure was Ingrid Selvig (1877-1952), a Norwegian author and women's rights activist who fought for equal rights and opportunities for women in Norway. Halvard Selvig (1901-1986) was a renowned Norwegian architect and urban planner who designed several iconic buildings in Oslo and other cities.

While the surname SELVIG may have evolved and spread to other parts of the world over time, its origins can be traced back to the coastal regions of Norway, where it likely originated as a descriptive name for those living near bays or inlets with huts or sheds.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Selvig

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

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

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

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