Seligman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Seligman 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. Seligman 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 Seligman family

The surname Seligman 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 Seligman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seligman research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1196, 1365, 1370 and 1464 are included under the topic Early Seligman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seligman Spelling Variations

One 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 Seligman 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 Seligman family

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

Seligman 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 Seligman, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Seligman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Seligman, who arrived in New York, NY in 1839 1
Michael Seligman, who landed in New York, NY in 1839 1
Jackie' Seligman, who landed in Mississippi in 1847 1
David Seligman, who landed in Mississippi in 1849 1
H Seligman, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Seligman (post 1700) +

Daniel Seligman (1924-2009), American editor and columnist
Ellen Seligman (d. 2016), American-born, Canadian editor and publisher, twice-time Canadian Booksellers Association Editor of the Year Award winner
Isaac Newton Seligman (b. 1855), American banker and communal worker
Nicole Seligman (b. 1957), American attorney
Isaac Seligman (1834-1928), German-American merchant banker and philanthropist
Edwin Robert Anderson Seligman (1861-1939), American economist
Arthur Seligman (1873-1933), American businessman and politician
Joseph Seligman (1819-1880), prominent U.S. banker, and businessman
Martin E. P. "Marty" Seligman (b. 1942), American psychologist, educator, and author of self-help books
Lincoln Seligman (b. 1950), British artist
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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)