2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Selvog
A Scandinavian surname derived from a geographical place name containing the elements "selv" (deep) and "vig" (bay).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Selvog. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Selvog 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.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Selvog in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Selvog, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Selvog
The surname SELVOG has its origins in the Scandinavian region, specifically in Norway. It is believed to have emerged during the Viking era, around the 8th to 11th centuries. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "selr" meaning "seal" and "vogr" meaning "inlet" or "bay." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near seal-populated inlets or coastal areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SELVOG surname can be traced back to the late 12th century, when a Norwegian chieftain named Thorbjorn SELVOG is mentioned in the Saga of Olaf Haraldsson. This saga, written in the 13th century, chronicles the life and deeds of King Olaf II of Norway, who ruled from 1015 to 1030.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the SELVOG name was Sigurd SELVOG, a prominent trader and landowner from the coastal town of Trondheim. His name appears in several contemporary records, including a land grant document dated 1367.
During the 16th century, a branch of the SELVOG family is known to have settled in the Lofoten Islands, an archipelago renowned for its rich fishing grounds. One of their descendants, Gunnar SELVOG (1562-1638), was a skilled navigator and captain who led several successful fishing expeditions to the Arctic waters.
In the 17th century, a scholar and writer named Erik SELVOG (1621-1692) gained recognition for his works on Norse mythology and folklore. His seminal work, "The Saga of the Northern Gods," published in 1678, remains an important source for understanding the pre-Christian beliefs and traditions of Scandinavia.
Another notable figure was Ingrid SELVOG (1784-1862), a renowned weaver and textile artist from the town of Bergen. Her intricate tapestries and embroidered pieces are currently exhibited in several museums across Norway, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the region.
While the SELVOG surname is most prevalent in Norway, it can also be found in other parts of Scandinavia, as well as in communities with significant Norwegian ancestry around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Selvog
Among Census respondents with the surname Selvog, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Selvog 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 Selvog surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Selvog
Selvog 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-11 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,502 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+6 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,832 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 18,502 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.2%) | Up 2,832 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 Selvog 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 | #144,141 | #141,309 | 2.0% |
| Count | 115 | 121 | 5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Selvog bearers went from 115 to 121 (+5.2% change). The surname moved up 2,832 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #141,309.
FAQ
Selvog surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Selvog?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Selvog. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Selvog?
Selvog ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Selvog. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Selvog.
Has Selvog become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Selvog went from 115 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 6 (+5.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Selvog?
Among Census respondents with the surname Selvog, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Selvog in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Selvog appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Selvog (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 Selvog mean?
A Scandinavian surname derived from a geographical place name containing the elements "selv" (deep) and "vig" (bay). 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 Selvog (0.04 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 have the surname Selvog?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.