Selznick
A Yiddish surname derived from Selz, a town in Germany near Frankfurt.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 206 Americans carry the last name Selznick. That puts it at #99,845 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,663,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Selznick surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
206
1 in 1,663,856
Census rank
#99,845
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
181
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 181 bearers of the surname Selznick in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 99845th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Selznick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Selznick
The surname SELZNICK is a variation of the German surname Selznik or Selznick, which originated in the region of Selznik, located in the southwest of modern-day Germany. The name is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "salz," meaning salt, and "nik," which means a small stream or brook, suggesting that the name may have referred to a salty stream or a location near a salty body of water.
Records show that the name SELZNICK first appeared in the 12th century in the Rhineland region of Germany. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region, where a certain Henricus de Selznik is mentioned in 1187.
During the Middle Ages, the SELZNICK family appears to have been prominent landowners and nobles in the Rhineland area. A notable figure was Johann von Selznik (1225-1298), who served as a knight and advisor to the Archbishop of Cologne.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Selznick, Selznik, and Selznicker. In England, the earliest recorded instance of the name was in the 16th century, where a Thomas Selznick is mentioned in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1563.
One of the most renowned individuals bearing the SELZNICK surname was the American film producer David O. Selznick (1902-1965), who was responsible for producing iconic films like "Gone with the Wind" (1939) and "Rebecca" (1940). Another notable figure was the Russian-American mathematician Yakov Grigorevich Sinai (1935-2023), whose original surname was Selznik before it was russified.
Other historical figures with the SELZNICK surname include:
1. Johann Selznick (1681-1738), a German composer and organist active in the Baroque period.
2. Gertrude Selznick (1872-1947), an American philanthropist and women's rights activist.
3. Lewis J. Selznick (1870-1933), an American film producer and co-founder of the Selznick Pictures Corporation.
4. Myron Selznick (1898-1944), an American film producer and talent agent, brother of David O. Selznick.
The SELZNICK surname has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in the German regions along the Rhine River. While the name has undergone various spelling changes over time, it has maintained its association with notable figures in fields such as film, music, and philanthropy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Selznick
Among Census respondents with the surname Selznick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Selznick bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Selznick surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9%
- Two or more races2.8%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Selznick surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #99,845 | #99,845 | 0.0% |
| Count | 181 | 181 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Selznick bearers went from 181 to 181 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #99,845 to #99,845.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Selznick
FAQ
Selznick surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Selznick?
The surname Selznick holds position #99,845 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 206 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Selznick surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Selznick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.