NameCensus.

UK surname

Selvey

A surname denoting a dweller in or near a grove or small woods.

In the 1881 census there were 184 people recorded with the Selvey surname, ranking it #13,551 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 462, ranked #10,607, up from #13,551 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Aldridge and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Walsall, Erewash and Torbay.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Selvey is 483 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 151.1%.

1881 census count

184

Ranked #13,551

Modern count

462

2016, ranked #10,607

Peak year

2010

483 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Selvey had 184 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,551 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 462 in 2016, ranked #10,607.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 366 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Selvey surname distribution map

The map shows where the Selvey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Selvey surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Selvey over time

The 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 97 #17,484
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 184 #13,551
1891 historical 243 #13,011
1901 historical 311 #11,363
1911 historical 366 #9,936
1997 modern 442 #10,209
1998 modern 466 #10,140
1999 modern 460 #10,293
2000 modern 443 #10,578
2001 modern 435 #10,526
2002 modern 455 #10,349
2003 modern 458 #10,136
2004 modern 450 #10,321
2005 modern 453 #10,155
2006 modern 456 #10,149
2007 modern 454 #10,264
2008 modern 453 #10,345
2009 modern 470 #10,324
2010 modern 483 #10,301
2011 modern 479 #10,280
2012 modern 465 #10,422
2013 modern 466 #10,556
2014 modern 466 #10,608
2015 modern 466 #10,552
2016 modern 462 #10,607

Geography

Back to top

Where Selveys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Aldridge, St Werburgh, Portishead and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Walsall, Erewash, Torbay and Malvern Hills. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Aldridge Staffordshire
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Portishead Somerset
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Walsall 009 Walsall
2 Walsall 017 Walsall
3 Erewash 014 Erewash
4 Torbay 017 Torbay
5 Malvern Hills 001 Malvern Hills

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Selvey

These lists show first names that appear often with the Selvey surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Selvey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Selvey, 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

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Selvey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Selvey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Selvey is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Selvey is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Selvey falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Selvey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Selvey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Selvey

The surname SELVEY is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English word "self," meaning "the same," combined with the suffix "-ey," indicating a place or locality. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where people from the same area or region settled.

The earliest recorded instances of the SELVEY surname can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various forms such as Selvey, Selvy, and Selvee. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was William Selvey, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

In the 14th century, the name SELVEY appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire, where Thomas Selvey was listed as a taxpayer in 1327. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in the West Midlands region of England during this period.

The SELVEY surname has also been associated with place names in England, such as Selby, a town in North Yorkshire. It is possible that the name may have derived from this place name or a similar locality with a similar spelling.

Notable individuals bearing the SELVEY surname throughout history include:

1. John Selvey (c. 1580-1638), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Bridekirk in Cumberland. 2. Edward Selvey (1619-1675), an English merchant and member of the East India Company, who was involved in trade with India and the Far East. 3. Elizabeth Selvey (c. 1700-1780), a British landowner and philanthropist from Gloucestershire, known for her charitable contributions to local churches and schools. 4. William Selvey (1792-1867), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent figure in the colony of New South Wales, Australia. 5. Margaret Selvey (1865-1947), an American author and poet who wrote several collections of poetry and short stories in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the SELVEY surname may have evolved and spread to different parts of the world over time, its origins can be traced back to medieval England, where it was likely derived from a place name or locality associated with the Old English word "self."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Selvey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Selvey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 54 Selveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.53x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 54 9.53x
Derbyshire 34 12.94x
Warwickshire 19 4.49x
Middlesex 12 0.72x
Gloucestershire 8 2.43x
Nottinghamshire 7 3.10x
Kent 6 1.05x
Lincolnshire 6 2.24x
Worcestershire 6 2.74x
Berkshire 4 3.18x
Lancashire 4 0.20x
Somerset 4 1.48x
Glamorgan 3 1.03x
Sussex 3 1.06x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.99x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walsall Foreign in Staffordshire leads with 20 Selveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.38x.

Place Total Index
Walsall Foreign 20 68.38x
Wolverhampton 18 41.33x
Birmingham 17 12.06x
Litchurch 12 113.53x
Aldridge 11 1009.17x
Belper 10 196.46x
Osmaston 9 4090.91x
St Luke London 9 33.44x
Clifton 8 48.08x
Nottingham St Mary 7 11.97x
Glanford Brigg 6 625.00x
Deptford St Paul 5 11.33x
Hartlebury 5 384.62x
Cheddar 4 294.12x
Chieveley 3 447.76x
Harborne 3 16.53x
Horsley 3 189.87x
Swansea Town 3 12.53x
Aston 2 1.72x
Manchester 2 2.23x
North Meols 2 10.26x
St Magnus Martyr 2 5000.00x
Brighton 1 1.75x
Chislehurst 1 32.57x
Eastbourne 1 7.68x
Fingest 1 526.32x
Great Malvern 1 21.88x
High Offley 1 212.77x
Islington London 1 0.61x
Lofthouse Cum Carlton 1 49.26x
Newbury 1 24.81x
Ore 1 47.39x
Rushall 1 30.03x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Selvey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 5
Mary 5
Ann 4
Eliza 4
Jane 4
Annie 3
Clara 3
Ellen 3
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Lizzie 2
Margaret 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Arabella 1
Beatrice 1
Bessy 1
Blanche 1
Charlott 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Marganny 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Nellie 1
Rebecca 1
Susan 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Selvey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Joseph 15
John 14
William 11
Samuel 6
Alfred 5
Thomas 5
Frank 4
Walter 4
David 3
Edwin 3
George 3
Henry 3
Albion 2
Harold 2
James 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Asker 1
Auther 1
Edgar 1
Edwrd 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Mathew 1
Scotch 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Vincent 1

FAQ

Selvey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Selvey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 184 people were recorded with the Selvey surname. That placed it at #13,551 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Selvey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 462 in 2016. That gives Selvey a modern rank of #10,607.

What does the Selvey surname mean?

A surname denoting a dweller in or near a grove or small woods.

What does the Selvey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Selvey bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

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.