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

Selwyn, 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 Selwyn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Selwyn in America

Selwyn is the 52482nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Selwyn surname appeared 395 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 Selwyn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Selwyn 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 Selwyn

The surname Selwyn is of Welsh origin, derived from the personal name Selwyn, itself derived from the Welsh words "sêl" meaning "basis, foundation" and "gwyn" meaning "white, fair". The name was popularized in medieval Wales, and was often used to refer to someone with light-colored hair or a fair complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Selwyn can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Denbighshire, Wales. The name appears in various historical documents, such as the Taxatio Ecclesiastica of 1291, which lists a "Iohannes Selwyn" as a landowner in the area.

In the 14th century, the Selwyn family gained prominence in the Welsh Marches, the borderlands between England and Wales. The name is found in the Domesday Book, which records a "Selwyn de Malpas" as a landowner in the village of Malpas, Cheshire.

One notable figure in the family's history was Sir John Selwyn (c. 1460-1538), a Welsh politician and landowner who served as Sheriff of Denbighshire and Flintshire. He held extensive estates in Wales and was a member of the Privy Council under King Henry VIII.

In the 16th century, the Selwyn family established themselves in Gloucestershire, England. William Selwyn (1520-1589), a wealthy merchant and landowner, was a prominent member of the family during this period. His grandson, also named William Selwyn (1580-1636), was a Member of Parliament for Gloucester and played a role in the English Civil War.

Another notable figure was George Augustus Selwyn (1719-1791), a British colonial administrator who served as the first Governor of New Zealand from 1841 to 1853. He played a crucial role in the early colonization and development of the country, and the city of Selwyn in New Zealand's Canterbury region is named after him.

Throughout history, the surname Selwyn has been associated with various places, including the village of Selwyn in Herefordshire, England, and the town of Selwyn in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The name has also been recorded with various spellings, such as Selwin, Selwyne, and Selwin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Selwyn

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

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

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

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