Recorded in several forms including Selborne, Selborn, Selbourne, Selburn and Silburn, this is an English surname. It is locational from the village of Selborne in the county of Hampshire. The origination is from the Olde English pre 7th century words "sealh" meaning sallow, and "burna" a stream, the place name being first recorded in the year 903 a.d., almost at the begining of written records. Locational surnames were usually ones given to people as easy identification, after they had left their original homes, to move somewhere else. Spelling being at best rudimentary and local dialects very thick, soon lead to the development of "sounds like" spellings. In this case the earliest known recordings are those of Robert de Selburn, in the tax register known as the "Feet of Fines" for the county of Essex in the year 1272, whilst William Selebourne is recorded in Sussex in 1327. Later examples include John Selborn of Cambridge in 1372, and Robert Silburn in the church register of St Andrews Holborn, in the city of London, on January 17th 1711.

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