The Self surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 23,595 people carried this name — #1,520 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 12,500 people counted. That is up 3% from 22,954 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Self surname

A freed slave surname originating as an occupation.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Self» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Shelf’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Cristiana del Schelf, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Self and Selfe.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 676 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Self was found among the farmers of 4 counties.

It was most frequent in Norfolk: 29 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 345. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Selfe and Self.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Norfolk 29
Wiltshire 12
Suffolk 9
Essex 7

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

32 Self families were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 176 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Virginia 17
North Carolina 11
South Carolina 2
Pennsylvania 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 261 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Self in American newspapers,
1904–1907.

Newspaper page from The Republican Journal carrying the name Self
The Republican Journal 1904-08-25
Newspaper page from St. Tammany Farmer carrying the name Self
St. Tammany Farmer 1907-07-06
Newspaper page from St. Tammany Farmer carrying the name Self
St. Tammany Farmer 1904-05-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,047 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Self in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

12,499 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Self. The most, 1,920, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,501
Queensland 3,351
Victoria 2,849
Tasmania 1,255
South Australia 708
Western Australia 558
ACT (Canberra) 233
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Self.

Who carried it

People named Self,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Samuel Adolphus Theodore Self 1859–1938
  • Sidney Randolph Self 1886–1981
  • Henry Self 1890–1975
  • Margaret Cabell Self 1902–1996 · riding instructor
  • William Self 1906–1998 · organist
  • Primrose Fenwick Self 1918–2002 · botanical collector

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Self,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,080 records

1,080 records of the Self name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 700
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 224
  • Other U.S. records 156
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Irving Albert Self

    Born 1934; from Sacramento, California. U.S. Army, radio operator; killed in action 1964 in South Vietnam. Buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Horace G. Self

    Born 1919 in Virginia. Enlisted 1944 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; welder. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Jerusalem Baptist Church Cemetery, Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Emily Self

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Berlin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 21; servant. From London, England; bound for Detroit.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,080 records for Self in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia303 records

303 records of the Self name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 142
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 104
  • Other Australian records 57
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Henry Self

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Duncan, sailing from Sheerness in 1840. Native of St Luke's, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Self

    Died 1880 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 62. Will registered in Tasmania in 1880.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Thomas Edward Self

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1853. Married 1853 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 49.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 303 records for Self in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada42 records

42 records of the Self name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 25
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 5
  • Other Canadian records 12
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Self

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Austrian, landing at Portland, bound for London, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Hilda Self

    Died 1959, aged 43; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William C. Self

    Died 1935 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 42 records for Self in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom30 records

30 records of the Self name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 20
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 10
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Lydia Self

    Buried in 1814 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 60.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Self

    Gunner, Household Battalion. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Esther Self

    Buried in 1827 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 56.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 30 records for Self in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands7 records

7 records of the Self name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 5
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Dorothy Annie Mary Self

    Married in 1916 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Merten Self

    Baptised in 1640 in Breda.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Breda (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Martha Self

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1905 in Castrop.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Self in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France1 record

1 record of the Self name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record John Douglas Self

    Born 1927 in Great Britain; died 1996 in Clion (Charente-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Self.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Self is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Self volume
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