Selwyn is a given name and surname. It may have originated from the

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...

personal name Selewyne, and from the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

personal name Seleƿine, putting together the words ''sele'' ("hall") and ''ƿine'' ("friend") or "sea friend". Other research indicates a French origin, from Salvagin, meaning "wild person", introduced during the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

, and may well have been used as a joke, meaning someone who was the opposite of wild. It may have come from the Latin Silvanus or Salvin, a Roman clan name connected to the God of the Forest.

Surname

Alfred Richard Cecil Selwyn Alfred Richard Cecil Selwyn, Order of St. Michael and St. George, CMG, Legum Doctor, LL.D, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS, Geological Society of London, FGS (26 July 182419 October 1902) was a British geologist and public servant, director of ...

(1824–1902), British geologist who surveyed parts of Australia and Canada *

Archibald Selwyn Archibald Selwyn (also Arch or Archie Selwyn; November 3, 1877 – June 21, 1959) was a Canadian-American play broker, theater owner and stage producer who had many Broadway successes. He and his brother Edgar Selwyn were partners. They were amon ...

(1877–1959), American theatrical producer *

Charles Jasper Selwyn Sir Charles Jasper Selwyn PC (13 October 1813 – 11 August 1869) was an English lawyer, politician and Lord Justice of Appeal in Chancery. Background and education Selwyn was born at Church Row, Hampstead, Middlesex, the third and youngest ...

(1813–1869), Judge, Lord Justice, M.P. and privy counsellor * Charles William Selwyn (1858–1893), British army officer and Conservative politician *

Don Selwyn Don Charles Selwyn (22 November 1935 – 13 April 2007) was a Māori actor and filmmaker from New Zealand. He was a founding member of the New Zealand Māori Theatre Trust and directed the 2002 film '' Te tangata whai rawa o Weneti (The Maori ...

(c. 1936–2007), Maori actor and film director from New Zealand *

Edgar Selwyn Edgar Selwyn (October 20, 1875 – February 13, 1944) was an American actor, playwright, director and producer on Broadway. A prominent figure in American theatre and film in the first half of the 20th century, he founded a theatrical pr ...

(1875–1944), American film director and theatrical producer * George Selwyn (Bishop of New Zealand) (1809–1878) * George Selwyn (politician) (1719–1791), English politician and wit * George Selwyn (bishop of Tinnevelly) (1887–1957), Missionary bishop in South India * John Richardson Selwyn (1844–1898), Second bishop of Melanesia * Sydney Selwyn (1934–1996), British physician, medical scientist and notable expert in the history of medicine. * Tim Selwyn (born 1974), New Zealand political activist who was tried for sedition *

Victor Selwyn Victor Selwyn (1917–2005) was a British journalist whose career began during World War II with a collection of poems from soldiers. It was this work that led him to attain his MBE in 1996 He was associated with the Cairo poets, and was &mda ...

(1917–2005), British journalist * William Selwyn (1655–1702), officer in the British Army, MP and briefly Governor of Jamaica * William Marshall Selwyn (1879–1951), Bishop of Fulham, Archdeacon of Bath and Rector of

Bath Abbey The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is a parish church of the Church of England and former Benedictines, Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, Bath, Somerset, England. Founded in the 7th century, i ...

Zachariah Selwyn Zachariah "Zach" Selwyn (born April 23, 1975), also known as simply Zachariah, is an American singer-songwriter, actor, host and writer best known for hosting the series ''America's Secret Slang'', ''Guinness World Records Gone Wild!'', ''Atta ...

(born 1975), American TV personality

Given name

People

* 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 Selwyn Zadock Bowman (May 11, 1840 – September 30, 1928) was an American attorney and politician who served in several public offices, including that of the U.S. representative from Massachusetts. Bowman was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, ...

(1840–1928), U.S. Representative from Massachusetts * Selwyn Brown (musician) (born 1958), British roots reggae musician *

Selwyn Closs-Parry The Ven. Selwyn Closs-Parry (1925 – 13 October 2015) was Archdeacon of St Asaph from 1984 to 1990. He was born in 1925 and educated at St David's College, Lampeter, and ordained after a period of study at St. Michael's College, Llandaff, in 19 ...

(1925–2015), Archdeacon of St Asaph, 1984–90 *

Selwyn Cudjoe Selwyn Cudjoe (born 1 December 1943)
Encyclopedia.com. is a

Selwyn Dewdney (1909–1979), Canadian author, illustrator, artist and activist *

Selwyn Edge Selwyn Francis Edge (1868–1940) was a British businessman, racing driver, cyclist and record-breaker. He is principally associated with selling and racing De Dion-Bouton, Gladiator; Clemént-Panhard, Napier and AC cars. Personal life Edge w ...

(1868–1940), Australian businessman and racing car driver * Selwyn Fernandes (born 1980), Indian footballer * Selwyn Fremantle (1869–1942), British administrator in India *

Selwyn Griffith Selwyn Griffith (1928 – 10 August 2011) was a Welsh language poet and the Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales, known by the bardic name Selwyn Iolen. Selwyn Iolen was born in Bethel, near Caernarfon in 1928 and lived in the area thro ...

(1928–2011), Welsh poet * Selwyn Hughes (1928–2006), British Christian minister *

Selwyn Image Selwyn Image (17 February 1849, Bodiam, Sussex – 21 August 1930, London) was a British artist, designer, writer and poet associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement. He designed stained glass windows, furniture and embroidery, and illustra ...

(1849–1930), British academic *

Selwyn Jepson Selwyn Jepson (25 November 1899 – 10 March 1989) was an English mystery and detective author and screenwriter. He was the son of the fiction writer Edgar Jepson (1863–1938) and Frieda Holmes, daughter of the musician Henry Holmes. His sister ...

(1899–1989), British author * Selwyn Jones (born 1970), American football player * Selwyn George (Bill) Lane (1922–2000), Australian ornithologist *

Selwyn Lloyd John Selwyn Brooke Selwyn-Lloyd, Baron Selwyn-Lloyd (28 July 1904 – 17 May 1978), was a British politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom), Speaker of the House of Commons from 1971 to 1976, having previously hel ...

(1904–1978), British Conservative politician *

Selwyn Lymon Selwyn Jalil Lymon (born September 21, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Purdue. High school career As a high school athlete, ...

(born 1986), American football wide receiver * Selwyn Maister (born 1946), New Zealand field hockey player * Selwyn N. Owen (1836–1916), American jurist * Selwyn Porter (1905–1963), Australian Army officer *

Selwyn Raab Selwyn Raab (June 26, 1934 – March 4, 2025) was an American journalist, author and investigative reporter for ''The New York Times''. He wrote extensively about the American Mafia and criminal justice issues. Early life and education Born in ...

(1934–2025), American author and journalist * Selwyn Richardson (1935–1995), Trinidadian lawyer * Selwyn Riumana (born 1966), Solomon Islander politician * Selwyn Pretorius (born 1982), known as

Selwyn (singer) Selwyn (born Selwyn Pretorius, 1982, in Durban, South Africa) is an R&B singer from Perth, Western Australia. He was a contestant on the Australian reality series ''Popstars 2'', but did not make it through to the final group lineup. He was re ...

, Australian R&B singer * Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke (1893–1976), British doctor and barrister * Selwyn Toogood (1916–2001), New Zealand television personality * Selwyn Whalley (1934–2008), English footballer * Selwyn Walford Young (1899–1977), Belizean musician and composer *

Selwyn Wright Selwyn Wright (/ˈˈseˌlwɪnˈˈraɪt /) (29 October 1934 – 12 February 2015) was an English physicist, who held the Brook Crompton Chair of Engineering at the University of Huddersfield in the UK. He is best known for the development of w ...

(1934–2015), British physicist and engineer

Fictional characters

* Selwyn Froggitt, main character in the British sitcom ''Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt''

References

{{Given name, section=Given names, Selwyn Surnames of Old English origin Masculine given names English-language masculine given names