| ![Show Contents]() Sels History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of SelsWhat does the name Sels mean? The origins of the name Sels are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name Silvester or Silvanus. During the middle Ages this personal name was quite popular, as it was borne by three popes. In the religious naming tradition surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint. Early Origins of the Sels familyThe surname Sels was first found in Northamptonshire where they held a family seat from ancient times. Early History of the Sels familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sels research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1637 is included under the topic Early Sels History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sels Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Sels family name include Sill, Sille, Sills, Silles, Sell, Selle, Sells and many more. Early Notables of the Sels familyMore information is included under the topic Early Sels Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Sels migration to the United States | + |
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Sels surname or a spelling variation of the name include:
Sels Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Eduard Sels, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 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)
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