Selby Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Selby last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Selby last name
Meaning of the Selby last name: willow farm. Selby is an English surname from Selby in Yorkshire, an Old Norse place name for a willow farm. The last name is common in Yorkshire and the Midlands. A curious detail: Selby Abbey, founded after the Norman Conquest, is one of the few great English abbey churches still standing whole as a parish church.
Arms associated with the Selby name
Heraldry associated with the Selby surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.
Get your full Selby family history
This is only a glimpse of the Selby story. The full Selby history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Selby coat of arms. Get the full Selby report.
Selby name FAQ
What does the Selby name mean?
Willow farm. Common variants include Shelby, Selbie.
Where does the Selby surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Selby coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Selby coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).