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Selness Family History

Selness Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Holness, Jenness, Selders, Senese, Henness, Sellers, Selner, Veness

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Selness family from?

You can see how Selness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Selness family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Selness families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Selness family living in Sussex. This was 100% of all the recorded Selness's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Selness families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Selness 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 Selness ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Selness. 40% of Selness men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Selness women worked as a Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Selness | 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

  • Laborer
    40%
  • Farmer
    34%
  • Clerk
    14%
  • Farming
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    100%

What Selness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 557 census records available for the last name Selness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Selness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Selness

Passenger Lists

There are 180 immigration records available for the last name Selness. 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 Selness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 105 military records available for the last name Selness. For the veterans among your Selness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Selness military records

You've only scratched the surface of Selness family history

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What is the average Selness lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2004, in the United States, Selness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1977, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Selness in 1966 was 74, and 90 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Selness

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Selness 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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