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Home › Baby Names Directory › Selig

Selig

♂ Boy

Pronounced SEE-lig /ˈsiː.lɪɡ/Low

Meaning: Selig is a Yiddish and German name from the German selig, 'blessed, happy, blessed in memory.' Among Ashkenazi Jewish families it often served as the Yiddish partner to the Hebrew Asher, 'happy,' or Baruch, 'blessed,' and it is also an established German surname. It came to America with Central-European Jewish immigrants.Low

In 30 seconds: Selig is a Yiddish and German boy's name meaning 'blessed' or 'happy.' It appeared among Jewish immigrant families around the nineteen-twenties (said SEE-lig).
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Origin MediumYiddish, German
MeaningSelig is a Yiddish and German name from the German selig, 'blessed, happy, blessed in memory.' Among Ashkenazi Jewish families it often served as the Yiddish partner to the Hebrew Asher, 'happy,' or Baruch, 'blessed,' and it is also an established German surname. It came to America with Central-European Jewish immigrants.
U.S. rank (1938)#3957 ↘ Falling
1938 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1925
Total births (all-time)≈ 154

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192519121938

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Selig comes from the German and Yiddish selig, 'blessed' or 'happy,' and long served as the Yiddish companion to Hebrew names like Asher and Baruch. It reached American records with Central-European Jewish immigrants and also survives as a German surname.

It was never common in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year even at its peak in the nineteen-twenties, concentrated in Jewish immigrant communities. A Selig born then would be a great-grandfather today.

Did you know? Among Ashkenazi families Selig often stood in for the Hebrew Asher, 'happy,' one of the Yiddish 'kinnui' names paired with a Hebrew namesake for everyday use.
Overall data confidence 50%
References - Selig — Yiddish/German selig 'blessed, happy'; kinnui for Asher; German surname; Jewish immigrant cohort; plain-Latin only.

Variations

ZeligSeligmanSelikZelik

Nicknames

SelZeke

Famous Bearers

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If you like Selig…

Zelig— a like Yiddish spelling of the same name
Asher— the Hebrew 'happy' name it partnered
Hyman— another Yiddish immigrant boy's name
Meyer— a like Ashkenazi name of the era

Explore names like Selig

By themerarevintagegermanyiddish

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Selig mean?

It is a Yiddish and German name meaning 'blessed' or 'happy'; it is also a German surname.

How do you pronounce Selig?

It is said SEE-lig /ˈsiː.lɪɡ/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Selig a boy or girl name?

Selig is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Selig?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year even at its peak in the nineteen-twenties.

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