Sellar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
An ancient Scottish people known as the Picts were the forefathers of the Sellar family. Sellar is a name for a merchant, someone who worked in cellars, and a saddler. Sellar is an occupational surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Occupational surnames were derived from the primary activity of the bearer. In the Middle Ages, people did not generally live off of the fruits of their labor in a particular job. Rather, they performed a specialized task, as well as farming, for subsistence. Other occupational names were derived from an object associated with a particular activity. This type of surname is called a metonymic surname. This surname applies to a variety of occupations. In the case of a merchant, the surname Sellar derives from an ancient derivitave of the Old English word, sell(en), which means, to sell. It also comes from the Old English word, sellan, which means to hand over, or deliver. In the sense of a person who worked in cellars, Sellar is a metonymic occupational name, which comes from the Anglo Norman French word, celler. The cellars referred to in this example, would have been in mansions and other great houses. In the final case, that of a saddler, the surname Sellar comes from the Anglo Norman French word, seller, which is a derivative of the Latin word sellarius, which means seat, or saddle. This ancient occupation was extremely important in the Middle Ages, as horses were the primary mode of transportation.
Early Origins of the Sellar family
The surname Sellar was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
Early History of the Sellar family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sellar research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1281, 1482, 1630, 1646, 1671, 1698, 1700 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Sellar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Sellar Spelling Variations
During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Sellar include Sellers, Sellars, Sellors and others.
Early Notables of the Sellar family
Notable amongst the Clan at this time was John Seller (ca. 1630-1698), English hydrographer and compass maker who published the first sailing directions for England in 1671, eponym of the Seller Glacier, Antarctica. Abednego Seller (c. 1646-1705), son of Richard Seller of Plymouth, was an English non-juring divine and controversial writer. 1
John Seller (fl. 1700), was hydrographer to the king, compiler, publisher, and seller of maps, charts, and geographical books, and was...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sellar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Sellar migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Sellar Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- James Sellar, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Blundell" in 1851 2
- William Sellar, aged 64, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Bee"
- Anne Sellar, aged 19, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Bee"
- Caroline Sellar, aged 17, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Bee"
Sellar 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:
Sellar Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- James Sellar, aged 42, a baker, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1841
- Sophia Sellar, aged 37, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1841
- Margaret Sellar, aged 11, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1841
- John Sellar, aged 17, a labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1841
- J. Sellar, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 17th March 1841 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Sellar (post 1700) +
- William Young Sellar (1825-1890), Scottish professor of Latin in Edinburgh University, born at Morvich, Sutherlandshire, third son of Patrick Sellar
- Patrick Sellar (1780-1851), Scottish factor to George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland, only son of Thomas Sellar of Westfield
- Irvine Gerald Sellar (1934-2017), English fashion retailer, and property developer, founder of the Sellar Property Group, and the developer of The Shard
- Craig Sellar Lang (1891-1971), New Zealand organist, music teacher, and composer
Citations +