Surname Sebring - Meaning and Origin
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Sebring: What does the surname Sebring mean?
The last name Sebring is of English and Germanic origin. It is said to be derived from the Old English words “seofon” (dweller near the sea) and “bringan” (to bring or fetch). During the Middle Ages, the surname was often used to identify someone who was an immigrant or a traveler, someone who had come from ‘across the sea’ to seek a new life in the British Isles.
The name Sebring can also be traced back to the German town of Seeburg, located in the historic Prussia region of northern Germany. It was a common practice for European immigrants to take on the place name of their original homeland as their surname, and this is likely how Sebring got its start.
Today, the last name Sebring is found in some parts of the United States, especially in central and southern Ohio. Sebring is also a fairly common surname in England and Australia, while it’s rather rare in Germany and other parts of Europe.
Sebring has a very active and diverse genealogy in America, with many notable figures associated with the name. Famous Sebrings include film producer Harvey Sebring, motivational speaker Oreil Sebring and several prominent politicians.
Order DNA origin analysisSebring: Where does the name Sebring come from?
The last name Sebring is common in the United States, particularly in the Midwest. According to the 2018 United States Census, there were approximately 6,170 people bear the Sebring surname. The Midwest was identified as the largest region where the name is found, comprising of 42.5% of the total number of people, followed by the South East at 22%, the West at 18.5%, and the Northeast at 17%.
The largest states in terms of population of Sebrings are Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming, all with more than 300 individuals residing there. Missouri and Indiana follow with more than 200 individuals, while Nebraska, Iowa, and North Carolina each have more than 100 people with the Sebring surname.
The last name Sebring is also relatively common in Canada, with a total of 175 individuals claiming the name within the country. Alberta is the province with the most people bearing the name at 59, followed by Ontario with 41. British Columbia, Quebec, and New Brunswick each have between 13 to 18 Sebrings residing there.
Overall, the last name Sebring is still relatively common in the United States and Canada, largely concentrated within the Midwest region.
Variations of the surname Sebring
The surname Sebring has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common include Seabring, Seebring, Sebrink, Sebryng, Sebren, Seabryng, Sebring, Sebrinck, Sebrink, Sebringhausen, Zeebrugge, Sebringen, and Sebrengen.
The earliest known reference to the name dates to Germany in the early 1600s. The first recorded use of the surname was by Franz Sebrengen from the Rhineland-Palatinate area of Germany in 1615. The surname is thought to derive from a combination of the German words "se(a)" and "bruggen," meaning “bridge by the sea.” This suggests that the original bearer of the name likely lived close to a waterway connecting two bodies of water.
In America, the spelling Sebring was the most common spelling of the surname. By the 1820s, the Sebring – Seabring variant was found in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and the direct line connects to William Seabring (1772-1847) from Germany. In the early 1900s, two distinct lines of the Sebring family emerged: one who settled in Pennsylvania and Ohio and the other in Iowa.
The Sebring name is spread throughout Europe, North America, and many other parts of the world. It is an uncommon surname, with the United States at present having around 6,400 people with the Sebring name. The largest concentration is still in the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, but mix of people with this surname can now be found in California, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, and other states.
Famous people with the name Sebring
- Chris Sebring: Chris Sebring is an American voice actor, writer, director, and producer, best known for his role in the 1996 war drama, Courage Under Fire, portraying Colonel Jack Maldonado in the film.
- Jay Sebring: Jay Sebring was a celebrity hairstylist and the founder of the agency, Sebring International. He owned salons in Hollywood, California, and Los Angeles, California. He was also a personal hairdresser for a number of stars including Steve McQueen, Frank Sinatra, Warren Beatty, and Paul Newman.
- Jim Sebring: Jim Sebring was an American racecar driver who competed in Formula Ford, USAC, IMSA, and SCCA racing. He won the 1968 SCCA Trans-Am Championship.
- Marilyn Burns Sebring: Marilyn Burns Sebring was an American actress born in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. She was best known for her performances in the 1974 horror film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and the 1980 comedy-drama, The Humanoids, which she also wrote and directed.
- Stephen Sebring: Stephen Sebring is an American director, producer, and cinematographer best known for his documentary film, Patti Smith: Dream of Life, which earned him a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.