Show ContentsSeller History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Seller

What does the name Seller mean?

The surname Seller is derived from the Middle High German word "sell," which meant "traveling companion." It was most likely originally nickname, which then became a hereditary surname.

Early Origins of the Seller family

The surname Seller was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region, later moving to Lithuania and East Prussia. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the military and civil service, which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development and eventual unification of the German nation.

Early History of the Seller family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seller research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1599, 1663, 1797 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Seller History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seller Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Seller include Sell, Selle, Sellen, Sellers, Seller, Sellmann, Sellman and many more.

Early Notables of the Seller family

Notables of the period with the name Seller were Thomas Selle (1599-1663), a German baroque composer; and Baron Adolph von Sell (b.1797), who was Lord Chamberlain at the court of Mecklenburg, as well as...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Seller Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Seller migration to the United States +

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them:

Seller Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Seller, who landed in Virginia in 1657 1
Seller Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jean Seller, who arrived in Louisiana in 1721 with a child
  • Henderick Philip Seller, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1728 1
  • Philip Henry Seller, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1728 1
  • Jacob Seller, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1729 1
  • Jacob, Seller Jr., who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 1
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Seller Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Frederick Seller, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1803 1
  • R. Seller, who settled in Boston in 1822
  • Richard Seller, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1855 1
  • Bernard H Seller, who landed in California in 1894 1

Seller migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Seller Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Seller, a carpenter, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
  • Mr. Stephen Seller, (b. 1834), aged 20, Cornish miner, from Falmouth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lady Elgin" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th August 1854 2

Seller 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:

Seller Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Seller, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Seller (post 1700) +

  • Jeffrey Seller, American Tony-Award-winning theatrical producer, best known for his work on Rent (1996), Avenue Q (2003), In the Heights (2008) and Hamilton (2015)
  • Wolf Dieter Seller, retired West German slalom canoeist who won silver and bronze medals
  • Chris Seller (b. 1977), Canadian former professional indoor lacrosse player who won gold at the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship and silver at the 2002 World Lacrosse Championship


Suggested Readings for the name Seller +

  • Descendants of Hezekiah Sellards by Clayton R. Cox.
  • A Backward Glance by Jane Parker McManus.
  • Cradled by the Massanutten: the Zellers/Sellers Family by Mary Marie Koontz Arrington.

  1. 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)
  2. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf


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