Seligson

This name is one of the patronymic forms of the German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname 'selig', and can be found in a variety of forms. These include Seligson, Seligsohn, Zeligson and Selikson, and all mean 'son of Selig'. The German name 'Selig' is cognate with the English name 'sealey', and means 'the happy, fortunate man, the lucky and successful one', while the Jewish name derives from the Yiddish male given name 'Zelik', 'fortunate', 'blessed', or from the modern German vocabulary word 'selig' of the same meaning. The selig family whose representative is recorded below was granted arms in Saxony of a shield 'per fess Azure and Gold', that is divided horizontally, with a gold crescent moon in chief and three silver bezants (circular shapes) in base. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Johann Selig, which was dated circa 1680, Saxony, Rietstap's Armorial General, during the reign of King Leopold 1, Holy Roman Emperor, 1658 - 1705. 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.