Boy · #8,287 in 2026

Selwyn

Selwyn is a given name and surname.

Current Rank
#8,287
Peak Rank
#1,280 (1961)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1924
First Year
1961
Last Year
1924
Peak Year
#5061
Peak Rank
10
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Selwyn

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Selwyn is a given name and surname.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Selwyn

Selwyn first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1904, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1961, when 38 Selwyns were born — ranking #1,280 that year. As of 2026, Selwyn ranks #8,287 for baby boys with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Selwyns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Selwyn

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Selwyn Baker (1911–1996), Australian rules footballer
  • Selwyn Baptiste (1936–2012), Trinidadian-British musician
  • Selwyn Bean (1886–1981), Archdeacon of Manchester, 1934–66
  • Selwyn Biggs (1872–1943), Welsh rugby union player
  • Selwyn Birchwood (born 1985), American blues guitarist
  • Selwyn Blackmore (born 1972), New Zealand cricketer
  • Selwyn G. Blaylock (1879–1945), Canadian businessman
  • Selwyn Z. Bowman (1840–1928), U.S. Representative from Massachusetts

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Selwyn

Phonetically similar names — useful when Selwyn is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Selwyn

What does the name Selwyn mean?
Selwyn is a given name and surname.
How popular is Selwyn in 2026?
In 2026, Selwyn ranks #8,287 among boys' names in the U.S., with 9 babies given the name that year.
When was Selwyn most popular?
Selwyn reached its peak popularity in 1961, ranking #1,280 that year with 38 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Selwyn most popular?
Selwyn has historically been most popular in New York, Virginia, Illinois. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Selwyn.
Is Selwyn a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Selwyn is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Selwyn?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Selwyn include Rennie, Vasilios, Patrice. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Selwyn

Selwyn is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1904 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Selwyn's peak popularity came in 1961 when it ranked #1,280. Use the chart and map above to compare Selwyn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.