UK boy's name
Selwyn
Of Old English origin, meaning "palace friend" or "castle friend".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Selwyn is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Selwyn popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4608, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 4 births.
This profile covers 26 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1998 to 2020. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 26 living people in the UK are called Selwyn. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Selwyn ranked #4608 for boys in England and Wales in 2020, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 4 boys were registered as Selwyn.
- • About 26 living people in the UK are estimated to have Selwyn as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4608
2020
Births in 2020
3
Latest year
Peak year
2002
4 births
Estimated living
26
2026
Meaning
What does Selwyn mean?
The given name Selwyn has its origins in the Welsh language and culture, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a compound name derived from the Welsh words "Sel," meaning "sight" or "vision," and "gwyn," meaning "white" or "fair." Together, the name Selwyn can be interpreted as "white sight" or "fair vision."
During the medieval period, the name Selwyn was primarily found in Wales and the surrounding regions influenced by Welsh culture. Its earliest recorded use can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in historical records and manuscripts from that era.
While there are no definitive accounts of the name's appearance in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been a common name among the Welsh nobility and gentry during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Selwyn was Selwyn ap Rhys (born around 1220), a Welsh landowner and nobleman who played a prominent role in the conflicts between the Welsh princes and the English monarchy during the 13th century.
In the 16th century, Selwyn Gwyn (1510-1588) was a notable Welsh scholar and writer who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of the Welsh language and literature.
Another prominent figure with the name Selwyn was Selwyn Lloyd (1904-1978), a British politician who served as Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 1950s and 1960s.
In the field of literature, Selwyn Jepson (1899-1976) was a renowned British novelist and short story writer known for his works exploring the lives of ordinary people in rural England.
Selwyn College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge, was founded in 1882 and named after George Augustus Selwyn (1809-1878), the first Bishop of New Zealand and a prominent figure in the Anglican Church.
Throughout history, the name Selwyn has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, scholars, writers, politicians, and religious figures, reflecting its enduring presence and significance within Welsh culture and beyond.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Selwyn over time
The chart below shows babies named Selwyn registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Selwyn, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2020, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Selwyn by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Selwyn was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4608 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4287 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3596 | 13 | 4 |
| 1990s | #2901 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Selwyn
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Selwyn: questions and answers
How popular is the name Selwyn in the UK right now?
In 2020, Selwyn was ranked #4608 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Selwyn most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 4 babies registered as Selwyn in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Selwyn?
Of Old English origin, meaning "palace friend" or "castle friend".
How many people are called Selwyn in the UK?
A total of 26 babies have been registered as Selwyn across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.