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Selby Family History

Selby Name Meaning

English (Nottinghamshire) and Scottish: habitational name from Selby (Yorkshire). The placename may derive from Old English sele ‘willow copse’ sometimes alternating with salh ‘willow’ + Old Norse ‘farmstead village’. Americanized form of some similar (like-sounding) Jewish surname.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Shelby, Welby, Melby, Bielby, Denby, Sebo, Beeby, Milby, Hemby, Saxby

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

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Where is the Selby family from?

You can see how Selby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Selby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Selby families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 128 Selby families living in Ontario. This was about 63% of all the recorded Selby's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Selby families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Selby surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Selby ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Selby. 43% of Selby men worked as a Farmer and 24% of Selby women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Selby were Income and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Selby | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    43%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Traveller
    6%
  • Income
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    24%
  • Student
    18%
  • Income
    18%
  • Teacher
    18%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Selby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 123,000 census records available for the last name Selby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Selby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Selby

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Selby. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Selby immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Selby. For the veterans among your Selby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Selby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Selby family history

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What is the average Selby lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Selby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Selby in 1942 was 26, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Selby

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