Surname Seldner - Meaning and Origin
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Seldner: What does the surname Seldner mean?
The last name Seldner is an Ashkenazi Jewish surname that originated in Germany. It is derived from the Middle High German words seld (protection) or selden (shelter) and the suffix -er to denote ‘one from’. The name is thought to have originally been given to those who held positions of safety and security in families and communities.
The Seldner surname was likely also used to denote individuals from villages where there were ‘safe’ embankments such as dikes, streams, or lakes, all of which offered protection and refuge. In some cases, it may also have been derived from welfare-endowing institutions such as food pantries or fraternal and support groups.
Today, Seldner is a fairly common Jewish surname in the United States, particularly amongst Jewish immigrants who came from Eastern Europe and Germany before World War II. In 2020, only about 3,000 people with this surname could be found in the United States according to the U.S. Census data.
The Seldner surname has a rich origin story and continues to exist as a reminder of the commitment to safety and security of Jewish families and communities throughout history. The name still serves as a symbol of protection and refuge both in the past and present.
Order DNA origin analysisSeldner: Where does the name Seldner come from?
The last name Seldner is most commonly found in Germany and Central Europe today. It is believed to be derived from the medieval German word “Seldener” meaning “one from the district of Selden”. The district of Selden is located in western Germany, within Germany’s modern-day state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
The first recordings of the Seldner name in the Rhineland-Palatinate region date back to the 1300s, with most records indicating that the people bearing the Seldner name came from Selden. This was a small farming village near the city of Limburg. Today, many people with the Seldner surname still live in the original area of Selden, as well as throughout Germany, Austria, and other Central European countries.
In addition to Central Europe, there is a small population of Seldners in the US, mostly due to immigration from Germany and other countries in the past few centuries. In recent times, Seldner families have settled in major cities throughout the US, including New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Seattle.
Overall, the Seldner surname is an ancient one with centuries of history in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany and has spread gradually to other parts of Europe and the US over time.
Variations of the surname Seldner
The surname Seldner has numerous variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. While the most frequent spelling of Seldner is simply Seldner, other variations have also been documented. These have been known to include: Seythoner, Zeldener, Salten, Sale, Selten, Sedler, Selner, Zeldner, Seltner, Zeltner, Seller, Zelter, Sellner, Seletner, Seldener, Seltener, Zeltenner, Salden, Seldon, and Seilden.
In some cases, Seldner is also spelled Heldner or Heltner. Across Europe, in particular, it is not uncommon to find that names may be spelled a variety of ways, depending upon the country or region. For example, Seldon might be a possibility in England, while Sedler is a possibility in Germany.
Certain languages also often lead to slight variations of the same surname. For instance, when immigrants to the United States originated from Eastern Europe, spelling adjustments in Yiddish or Hebrew might have been made to the name along the way.
In other cases, an entirely different surname might relate to the same family line. Surnames such as Seiler, Seligmacher, Schulteis, and Wende are often found to be related to the Seldner surname. These names come from different German-based dialects.
The variations of the Seldner surname could have resulted from a variety of causes. It is possible, for instance, that spelling mistakes were made at some point, either in recording or transcription of documents. Other common potential causes for biography name changes could include incorrect soundings, native languages that created regional variations, intentional changes for hyphenated naming, and even absent-minded mistakes from individuals wanting to fit in with their new found society. Regardless of their origin, all of these variations provide unique insights into the different iterations of the Seldner surname.
Famous people with the name Seldner
- Walter Seldner: former German fencer, competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Sam Seldner: Creator and Executive Producer of the Netflix series Las Chicas del Cable
- Lenny Seldner: Major League Baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles
- Harry Seldner: Founder of Standard & Poor's
- Chris Seldner: Professional American Auto Racing Driver
- Jay Seldner: American television producer who won an Emmy Award for writing the original themes music for Twin Peaks
- Robert Seldner: Supreme Court of California judge
- Theodore Seldner: U.S Army Major General
- Michael Seldner: Actor best known for roles in The Sopranos, The Night Of, and Rescue Me
- Arnold Seldner: former President of the North American Aerospace Defense Command