Selwyn Family History

English (Gloucestershire):: from the Middle English personal name Selewin(e) (Old English Selewine perhaps from sele ‘hall’ or sǣl ‘happiness prosperity’ + wine ‘friend’).

Of Norman origin perhaps from the Middle English and Old French personal name Selvein Silvein (from Latin Silvanus an adjective from silva ‘woodland’) with vocalization of /v/ to /w/ possibly through influence of the name above.

In Anglo-Norman usage both Selvein and Silvester were sometimes Latinized as Salvagius ‘wild savage’ (see Sylvester and Savage) though whether the vernacular surnames were ever interchangeable is a question for further research.