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Sela Family History

Sela Surname Meaning

Spanish: habitational name from Sela de Obanza or Sela de Vinjoy in Oviedo province (Asturias). Jewish (Israeli): from Hebrew sela ‘rock’ a Hebraicized form of some original Ashkenazic surnames.

Albanian: from Selë (definite form Sela) a short form of the Muslim personal name Selman or Selim which are of Turkish and ultimately of Arabic origin.

Slovenian and Croatian (Šela): unexplained. The surname Šela is very rare in Croatia.

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


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Where is the Sela family from?

You can see how Sela families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sela family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Sela families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 8 Sela families living in Michigan. This was about 42% of all the recorded Sela's in USA. Michigan had the highest population of Sela families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sela surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Sela ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Clerk and Telephone Op were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Sela. 50% of Sela men worked as a Clerk and 100% of Sela women worked as a Telephone Op.

View Census Data for Sela | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    50%
  • Laborer
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Telephone Op
    100%

What Sela family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 761 census records available for the last name Sela. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sela census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Sela

Passenger Lists

There are 386 immigration records available for the last name Sela. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Sela immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 102 military records available for the last name Sela. For the veterans among your Sela ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sela military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sela family history

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What is the average Sela lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Sela life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2001, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Sela in 1963 was 79, and 51 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sela

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sela ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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