Show ContentsSellner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Sellner is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from the baptismal name Silvester or Silvanus. During the middle Ages this personal name was quite popular, as it was borne by three popes. In the religious naming tradition surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint.

Early Origins of the Sellner family

The surname Sellner was first found in Northamptonshire where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Sellner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sellner research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1637 is included under the topic Early Sellner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sellner Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Sellner has been recorded under many different variations, including Sill, Sille, Sills, Silles, Sell, Selle, Sells and many more.

Early Notables of the Sellner family

More information is included under the topic Early Sellner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sellner Ranking

In the United States, the name Sellner is the 15,351st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Sellner family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Sellner or a variant listed above: John Sill who settled in Massachusetts in 1637; Joseph Sill arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1825; Louis Sill arrived in Philadelphia in 1855.


Arrow Air Flight 1285
  • Mr. Timothy David Sellner (1954-1985), American Staff Sergeant from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 2


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550


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