Selph History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the name Selph begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the Old English given name Saulf. Selph is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronymic surnames were formed by adopting the given name of an ancestor of the bearer, while others came from popular religious names, and from the names of secular heroes. In this case, the surname arose out of the vernacular tradition, and was likely the name of an ancestor of the bearer. The given name Saulf was composed of the elements sæ and wulf, which mean sea and wolf. 1

Early Origins of the Selph family

The surname Selph was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where Saiulfus, Sahulfus, Saulf, Saolf, Saul, Seulf are all listed. Robert filius Seulfi was listed as a Knights Templar in Berkshire in 1185 and later William Sewolf was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. John and William Self were found in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 2

"The name Sewlf (sea-wolf) occurs in a charter of Canute, and it is probably the same as the Saulf in the Domesday of Derbyshire, where it is in the Scandinavian form. Hence may be our Salve, Self, Selves." 3 4

In Yorkshire, the Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Cristiana del Schelf, 1379; and Johannes de Schelf. 5

Early History of the Selph family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Selph research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1086 is included under the topic Early Selph History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Selph 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. Selph has been recorded under many different variations, including Self, Selfe and others.

Early Notables of the Selph family

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

Selph Ranking

In the United States, the name Selph is the 10,982^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Selph family to Ireland

Some of the Selph family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Selph migration to the United States +

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 Selph or a variant listed above:

Selph Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

LaSalle Selph, aged 24, who arrived in America, in 1896

Contemporary Notables of the name Selph (post 1700) +

Jimmie Selph (1915-2000), born James Coin Self, an American country music, rockabilly and bluegrass musician
Carey Isom Selph (1901-1976), American Major League Baseball infielder who played from 1929 to 1932

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/