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Sellers History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Sellers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland

The surname Sellers is derived from the Middle High German word "sell," which meant "traveling companion." It was most likely originally nickname, which then became a hereditary surname.

Early Origins of the Sellers family

The surname Sellers was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region, later moving to Lithuania and East Prussia. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the military and civil service, which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development and eventual unification of the German nation.

Early History of the Sellers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sellers research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1599, 1663, 1797 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Sellers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sellers Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Sellers include Sell, Selle, Sellen, Sellers, Seller, Sellmann, Sellman and many more.

Early Notables of the Sellers family

Notables of the period with the name Sellers were Thomas Selle (1599-1663), a German baroque composer; and Baron Adolph von Sell (b.1797), who was Lord Chamberlain at the court of Mecklenburg, as well as...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sellers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sellers Ranking

In the United States, the name Sellers is the 689^th most popular surname with an estimated 42,279 people with that name. 1

Sellers migration to the United States +

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them:

Sellers Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Roger Sellers, who landed in Maryland in 1663 2
Samuel Sellers, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 2

Sellers Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Nicho Sellers, who landed in Virginia in 1701 2
Jacob Sellers, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1729 2

Sellers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Sellers, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1827
Thomas Sellers, who settled in Philadelphia in 1846
Philip Sellers, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 2
J M Sellers, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
George Sellers, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1858
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sellers migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sellers Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Rd Sellers, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Richard Sellers, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Sellers migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Sellers Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Sellers, aged 37, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
Mary Sellers, aged 36, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
Miss Dinah Sellers, (b. 1839), aged 29, Cornish general servant departing on 5th October 1868 aboard the ship "Mermaid" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 8th January 1869 3
John Sellers, aged 23, a farm labourer, who arrived in Napier aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879

Contemporary Notables of the name Sellers (post 1700) +

Richard Henry "Peter" Sellers CBE (1925-1980), British Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award winning, three-time Academy Award nominated actor and comedian, best known for his role in Dr. Strangelove, and as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther films
Phillip "Phil" Sellers Jr. (1953-2023), American former professional NBA basketball player
Larry Sellers (1949-2021), American actor and stuntman of Osage, Cherokee, and Lakota heritage
Charles Grier Sellers Jr. (1923-2021), American historian and author of the book The Market Revolution: Jacksonian America, 1815-1846
Goldie Sellers (1942-2020), American football defensive back in the American Football League (1966-1969)
Jack Sellers (1944-2016), American professional stock car racing driver and team owner
Michael "Mike" Sellers (b. 1975), former American NFL football fullback
Joey Sellers, American contemporary composer, arranger, and trombonist
Isaiah Sellers (1802-1864), American river boat captain, said to be the inspiration of Samuel Clemen's pen-name Mark Twain
Bradley Donn "Brad" Sellers (b. 1962), American retired professional basketball player and current politician, Mayor of Warrensville Heights
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf