| ![Show Contents]() Selig History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Germany The surname Selig is a ancient German name that originated in the Rhineland. While the Germans at first used only one name, population increases created confusion among people of the same name, forcing them to adopt hereditary surnames. Two common types of German names are patronymic names, taken from the given name of the father, and metronymic names, taken from the name of the mother. Selig was derived from the baptismal name for the son of Selig, which originated as a pet form of several German personal names, including Salger, Salafrid and Selibrand. Early Origins of the Selig familyThe surname Selig was first found in the Rhineland, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this Prussian territory an important factor in the development of the nation. The literal meaning of this name in its mediaeval context was "happy" or "cheerful." Ancient chronicles first mention a bearer of this name, one Godefrid Selicheit of the ancient imperial city of Worms, around 1196. Early History of the Selig familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Selig research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1196, 1365, 1370 and 1464 are included under the topic Early Selig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Selig Spelling VariationsOne can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Selig include Selig, Seliger (Silesia), Seelig, Seeliger, Seelinger, Zelig, Seliche, Solige, Selege, Selik, Selich, Zelich, Zelik, Selligman, Seligman, Seligmann, Selichman and many more. Early Notables of the Selig familyMore information is included under the topic Early Selig Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Selig RankingIn the United States, the name Selig is the 15,352nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
 Selig migration to the United States | + |
Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Selig, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:
Selig Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Johannes Selig, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
- Johann Selig, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1751
- Johann Jacob Selig, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 2
Selig Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Barbara Selig moved to Texas in 1844
- Dorothea Selig, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 2
- Ernst Selig, aged 31, who arrived in New York, NY in 1852 2
| Selig migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Selig Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Elisabeth Selig, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
- Friederich Selig, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
- Jacob Selig, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
- Johanna Selig, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
- John Selig, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Selig (post 1700) | + |
- Martin Selig (b. 1936), German-born, American billionaire property developer
- Josh Selig, American eleven-time Daytime Emmy Award winning writer and producer, founder and president of Little Airplane Productions
- William Nicholas Selig (1864-1948), American motion picture industry pioneer, the first producer to expand film-making operations to the West Coast in 1909
- Allan Huber "Bud" Selig (b. 1934), American baseball executive, Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball
- Rüdiger Selig (b. 1989), German professional road racing cyclist
- Jack Selig Yellen (1892-1991), American lyricist and screenwriter
| Historic Events for the Selig family | + |
Bismarck - Erich Selig (1922-1941), German Matrose II who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 3
- "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)
- Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
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Selig migration to the United States 
Selig migration to Canada 
