UK surname
An Anglicized form of the French surname "Celon", derived from a medieval personal name.
In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Sellon surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7, ranked #37,967, down from #28,285 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Matlock, St George in the East and Duffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sellon is 121 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 81.6%.
1881 census count
38
Ranked #28,285
Modern count
7
2016, ranked #37,967
Peak year
1861
121 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Sellon surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Sellon surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 47 | #24,810 |
| 1861 | historical | 121 | #18,148 |
| 1881 | historical | 38 | #28,285 |
| 1891 | historical | 81 | #26,632 |
| 1901 | historical | 36 | #30,099 |
| 1911 | historical | 36 | #29,370 |
| 1997 | modern | 7 | #37,533 |
| 1998 | modern | 8 | #37,334 |
| 1999 | modern | 7 | #37,513 |
| 2000 | modern | 4 | #38,004 |
| 2001 | modern | 6 | #37,456 |
| 2002 | modern | 5 | #37,723 |
| 2003 | modern | 5 | #37,750 |
| 2004 | modern | 7 | #37,496 |
| 2005 | modern | 7 | #37,581 |
| 2006 | modern | 7 | #37,634 |
| 2007 | modern | 7 | #37,687 |
| 2008 | modern | 7 | #37,735 |
| 2009 | modern | 9 | #37,573 |
| 2010 | modern | 10 | #37,517 |
| 2011 | modern | 8 | #37,737 |
| 2012 | modern | 9 | #37,614 |
| 2013 | modern | 9 | #37,653 |
| 2014 | modern | 7 | #37,929 |
| 2015 | modern | 8 | #37,797 |
| 2016 | modern | 7 | #37,967 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Matlock, St George in the East, Duffield, Kentchurch, Llanithog and Llanwonno. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matlock | Derbyshire |
| 2 | St George in the East | London (East Districts) |
| 3 | Duffield | Derbyshire |
| 4 | Kentchurch, Llanithog | Herefordshire |
| 5 | Llanwonno | Glamorganshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Sellon surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sellon, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Sellon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Sellon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Sellon is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sellon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Sellon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Sellon is of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the French words "sel" meaning salt and "lône" meaning a piece of land. It is believed to have originated in the 11th century from the areas of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. The name likely referred to an area of land where salt was produced or traded.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Selun" in the county of Dorset, England. This suggests that the name had already been introduced to England by Norman settlers shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records with spellings such as "Sellun," "Sellon," and "Sellen." During this time, there are references to individuals with the name holding land or positions of importance in places like Sussex, Hampshire, and Wiltshire.
One notable figure was Sir John Sellon, who was born in Wiltshire in the late 14th century and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1402. Another was William Sellon, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived in the early 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name can be found in records associated with the town of Sellon, which was located in the county of Shropshire. This may have been a place name derived from the surname itself.
Other historical figures with the surname include Walter Sellon, a prominent lawyer and landowner in Gloucestershire during the late 16th century, and Edward Sellon, an English playwright and poet who was active in the early 17th century.
As the name spread across England and into other parts of the British Isles, it also took on various regional spellings and variations, such as "Sellone," "Selloun," and "Sellens."
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sellon surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Derbyshire leads with 7 Sellons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.75x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Derbyshire | 7 | 11.75x |
| Middlesex | 7 | 1.84x |
| Devon | 6 | 7.58x |
| Kent | 6 | 4.62x |
| Herefordshire | 5 | 32.05x |
| Dorset | 3 | 12.02x |
| Lancashire | 2 | 0.44x |
| Berkshire | 1 | 3.50x |
| Buckinghamshire | 1 | 4.35x |
| Isle of Man | 1 | 14.16x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crich in Derbyshire leads with 7 Sellons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1794.87x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Crich | 7 | 1794.87x |
| East Budleigh | 6 | 1621.62x |
| Bicknor | 5 | 0.00x |
| Kentchurch | 5 | 10000.00x |
| Kensington London | 3 | 14.18x |
| Kinson | 3 | 612.24x |
| St George In East | 3 | 115.83x |
| Barton Upon Irwell | 2 | 58.82x |
| Eton | 1 | 192.31x |
| Malew | 1 | 161.29x |
| Minster In Sheppey | 1 | 46.51x |
| New Windsor | 1 | 104.17x |
| St George Bloomsbury | 1 | 45.87x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sellon surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sellon surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sellon households.
FAQ
In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Sellon surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 7 in 2016. That gives Sellon a modern rank of #37,967.
An Anglicized form of the French surname "Celon", derived from a medieval personal name.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sellon bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.