2000
#755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 41,561
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.41
Uncommon Last name
Sellers
An occupational surname referring to someone who sells goods or merchandise.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 46,489 Americans carry the last name Sellers. That puts it at #834 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,373 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sellers surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sellers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
46K
1 in 7,373
Census rank
#834
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
41K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 40,541 bearers of the surname Sellers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 834th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sellers, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sellers
The surname Sellers originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "sellan," meaning "to sell" or "to give." It was an occupational surname given to those who worked as merchants, traders, or salespeople.
The name Sellers can be traced back to the 12th century, with early recordings found in various historical documents. One notable mention is in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a certain William le Seller is listed.
In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there are records of individuals named Seller and Sellere living in counties such as Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. This suggests that the name was well-established and widespread throughout England by the 13th century.
During the 14th century, variations of the surname emerged, including Sellars, Sellors, and Selers. These spellings were likely influenced by regional dialects and the scribes who recorded the names.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Sellers surname was John Sellers, born around 1340 in Yorkshire. He is mentioned in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 as a resident of Kilnwick.
Another notable individual was Richard Sellers, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived in the early 15th century. He is recorded in the Letter Books of the City of London, which contain records of civic affairs and transactions.
In the 16th century, the Sellers surname appeared in various parish records and court rolls. One example is Thomas Sellers, born in 1545 in Gloucestershire, whose name is listed in the parish registers of Winchcombe.
The Sellers surname also has connections to places like Sellers Green in Bedfordshire and Sellers Pond in Derbyshire, which may have derived their names from early settlers or landowners with the Sellers surname.
Some notable individuals with the Sellers surname throughout history include:
1. Nathanael Sellers (1680-1736), a renowned English mathematician and surveyor.
2. John Sellers (1728-1804), an English engineer and instrument maker, known for his works on navigation and mathematics.
3. Charles Sellers (1923-1980), an American historian and author who wrote extensively on the American Revolution and early American history.
4. Peter Sellers (1925-1980), the iconic British comedian and actor, known for his performances in films like "The Pink Panther" and "Dr. Strangelove."
5. Heather Sellers (born 1964), an American writer and poet, known for her memoirs and poetry collections.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sellers
Among Census respondents with the surname Sellers, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sellers bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sellers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.4% · 29,740
- Black or African American17.6% · 7,127
- Two or more races4.5% · 1,810
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 1,267
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 364
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 233
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sellers
Sellers appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,577
+1,016 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 14.43
Rank movement Down 59 places
2020
#834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,541
-2,036 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 13.56
Rank movement Down 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #755 | 41,561 | 15.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #814 | 42,577 | 14.43 | +1,016 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 59 places |
| 2020 | #834 | 40,541 | 13.56 | -2,036 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 20 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sellers surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #814 | #834 | -2.5% |
| Count | 42,577 | 40,541 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 14.43 | 13.56 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sellers bearers went from 42,577 to 40,541 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #814 to #834.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sellers
FAQ
Sellers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sellers?
Name Census estimates that about 46,489 living Americans carry the surname Sellers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,373 residents.
How common is Sellers?
Sellers ranks #834 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 40,541 people with the surname Sellers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (46,489), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Sellers.
Has Sellers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sellers went from 42,577 recorded bearers to 40,541. That is a decrease of 2,036 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #814 to #834.
What does the Census say about the background of Sellers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sellers, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sellers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.4% (29,740 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sellers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.4%), Black (17.6%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sellers (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sellers mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who sells goods or merchandise. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sellers (13.56 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Sellers?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.