Surname Sellemann - Meaning and Origin
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Sellemann: What does the surname Sellemann mean?
The surname Sellemann is of German origin and belongs to the group of family names derived from given names. The original bearer of the name likely had the personal name Sellmann, Sellman, Selleman, or Sellemann. All of these names derive from the Germanic elements 'sel' and 'man.' The former element means 'happiness, joy,' while the latter derives from the word 'mānn,' meaning 'man.'
The surname is found in various documents dating back to the 16th century. During this time, Sellemann was commonly used as a personal name in southwestern Germany. In church and state records, individuals bearing this name can be found working as merchants, weavers, and farmers. Until the 19th century, many German Sellemann families remained in their native region, living in close-knit communities and maintaining strong traditions and values.
In the modern day, the Sellemann surname might appear in various forms worldwide, including Sellman, Sellmann, Selleman, and Sellemann. Those who bear this name have close familial connections with the areas and regions of southwestern Germany, and many still carry on the valued traditions established centuries ago.
Order DNA origin analysisSellemann: Where does the name Sellemann come from?
The last name Sellemann is most commonly found in Germany today. It is a relatively infrequent name, however, with less than 2,500 found living in Germany. It is thought to be a German name originating from the middle ages, with some suggesting it is derived from the words "selle", or "wagon", and "man", or man; potentially referring to a wagon driver or the maker of wagons. This theory is largely speculative however, and the exact origin of this name has been lost to antiquity.
The name Sellemann is also found in the United States, primarily within the mid-west. It’s reasonable to assume that some of those bearing the name are direct descendants of German immigrants, while others may have adopted it through other means.
While the name Sellemann is far from widespread today, the frequency of its occurrence is significantly more than it was in the past. The name was so rare that the 15th edition of the German Encyclopedia, published in 1738, listed no holders of the name whatsoever. This same edition of the encyclopedia did, however, list names currently more common than Sellemann, such as Schumann. Therefore it appears that, while the name has not seen extensive growth, the number of holders of the name does appear to be growing over time.
Variations of the surname Sellemann
Sellemann is a German surname. Some variants and spellings include Selemann, Sellemna, Selleman, Sellerman, Selleman, Selling, Sellin, Selin, and Selln.
The root of the name is probably "sell", which means "one's own", derived from German personal pronouns. It is likely that Sellemann originated from this source, with the "mann" spelling being added later, probably to indicate ownership and/or the name of a particular family group.
The name may have originated from a place-name, such as Selingstedt, a small town in the district of Schleswig-Holstein. Alternatively, it may be derived from a given first name, such as Seling, Selin or Sellin. Or, it could have developed as a patronymic, derived from the first name of a father or male ancestor of the initial bearer of the surname.
In some cases, the spelling of Sellemann may have evolved into one of its other variants as a result of mistranslations or variant pronunciations of the initial name. Similarly, the surnames of Sellin, Selin, Selling and others, may have been adapted from Sellemann over time.
The form of Sellemann also appears with different prefixes in some countries. For example, de Sellemann is found in parts of Belgium and de Sellemna is a variant seen in the Netherlands. In some cases, the surname has even been translated to other languages, such as French ("de Sellem" or "de Sellemane") or Spanish ("de Selleman").
Overall, Sellemann is an ancient German surname with a wide variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Sellemann
- Max Sellemann: German Olympic biathlete who competed at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
- Nichlas Sellemann: Danish former professional football player for B93 and KB.
- Dominik Sellemann: a German ski mountaineer and former ski racer.
- Jochen Sellemann: retired German Olympic track cyclist, competed in the 1976, 1980, and 1992 Olympics.
- Julian Sellemann: German professional footballer who plays as a defender for FC Osnabrück.
- Marcel Sellemann: German footballer who plays for FV Biebrich 1902.
- Carl Sellemann: influential German graphic artist and illustrator.
- Claus Sellemann: retired German football player who appeared in five German Bundesliga matches.
- Steve Sellemann: former American soccer player who played professionally in the USISL and USL A-League.
- Armin Sellemann: former German professional tennis player.