Selk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Selk

What does the name Selk mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Selk comes from the baptismal name for the son of Cecil, deriving from the nickname Sill. After the Norman Conquest, the Old English naming system gradually dissolved. Old English names became less common and were replaced by popular continental European names. The earliest surnames in England were found shortly after the Norman Conquest and are of Norman French rather than native English origins.

Early Origins of the Selk family

The surname Selk was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat from early times and were anciently descended from the distinguished Saxon family who held a family seat there well before the Norman Conquest. The name is derived from a colloquial term in Derbyshire about the year 1000 describing a thrush, i.e. a "shrilcock" or "shilcock."

Early History of the Selk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Selk research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1283, 1379 and 1781 are included under the topic Early Selk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Selk Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Selk were recorded, including Silcock, Silcocks, Silcox, Sylcox, Sylcock, Shilcock, Shrilcox, Shrilcocks, Silk and many more.

Early Notables of the Selk family

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

Selk migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Selk family emigrate to North America:

Selk Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Fritz Selk, who arrived in America in 1882 1

Sources +

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)