Is Your Family Name Seltzer?

Is Your Family Name Seltzer?

Over the course of my research I have heard from a number of people whose family name is Seltzer. However, given what I know of the word’s history, I don’t understand how this can be.


The word “seltzer” come from the town of Niederselters (more of the development of the word and its origin elsewhere). Note the spelling: “selter”. At some point, when the word became globalized into a stand-in for carbonated water, the “z” was added. I have a hunch the French did it, but have yet to track that down.
In any case, there any many people who have the last name of Seltzer. If their name is actually connected to the carbonated water and more than mere coincidence, how did this occur? If you are a Seltzer, know one, or play one on tv, please send me your thoughts or post them in the comments below.
Here is one suggestion I got from a former Seltzer, named Angel:

My grandfather was from Austria and the way I heard it…the town he came from was near where Salt came from, so I think it had something to do with salt….I heard this many years ago so don’t trust my memory – I don’t 🙂

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