Selway - Name

This interesting name derives from the Medieval English given name Salewi itself coming from the Olde English pre 7th century personal name Saelwig - a compound of the elements 'sael' meaning 'good fortune' or 'prosperity' and 'wig', war. One Salewi de Blipesdune is recorded in the 1185 'Knights Templars Records of Somerset'. The surname from this source is first recorded in the latter half of the 13th century. In 1327 a Robert Saleway is recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset. In the modern idiom the name has five spelling variations: Salway, Salwey, Sallaway, Salloway and Selway. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Walter Salewy which was dated 1275 The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire during the reign of King Edward 1 the Hammer of the Scots 1272-1307 Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.