Selby
A habitational surname from the Yorkshire town of Selby, probably meaning “hall farm” or “farm by the hall.”
The #3,008 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,928 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Selby is a habitational surname, taken from the town of Selby in Yorkshire. One traditional explanation, reflected in older surname dictionaries, derives the place-name from Old Norse and Old English elements meaning something like “hall” plus “farm” or “settlement,” though the exact form is not entirely certain. The name was then adopted by people who came from, lived in, or were associated with that place.
History
The surname is recorded in medieval and later English sources in forms such as de Selby, showing its use as a local identifier. Historical notices also connect the name with Yorkshire and with branches of the family elsewhere in England, including Northumberland. As with many English locational surnames, it spread through migration from the original place-name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
An old source notes that the Lincolnshire place-name Saleby is probably related to Selby in origin, showing how similar Scandinavian place-names recur across eastern England.
From the historical record
“sume it to be. SELBY (Scand.) Bel. to Selby (Yorks), anc. Sdleheia = the Hall-Farm [O.N. sal-r (= O.E. sal, sele), a hall -f- bS-r, a farm] The Lines parish-name Saleby (13th cent. Saleby) has doubtless the same origin.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)