Selwyn family

Selwyn family
Family heritage
Blood status	Pure-blood
Notable family members	Silvanus Selwyn Selwyn
Status	Unknown, likely extant
Relationships
Related families	Umbridge family (claimed)
Affiliation
Loyalty	Rookwood Gang Ashwinders Death Eaters Lord Voldemort

Selwyn was the surname of a pure-blood wizarding family, and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. They were a distinguished family with a good reputation.

Known members

• Silvanus Selwyn – lieutenant in the Ashwinders in the 1890s.
• Selwyn – Death Eater who fought in the Second Wizarding War.

Claimed member

"The S stands for Selwyn... I am related to the Selwyns... Indeed, there are few pure blood families to whom I am not related... A pity"

— Dolores Umbridge

An alleged family member, Dolores Umbridge

In her capacity as Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission from 1997–1998, Dolores Umbridge claimed to be related to the Selwyns among other pure-blood families, incorrectly alleging to Hermione Granger, disguised as Mafalda Hopkirk, that Salazar Slytherin's Locket was an old Selwyn family heirloom. In reality, she had taken it as a bribe from Mundungus Fletcher, unaware of its true power or status as a Horcrux. She was likely lying to "bolster her own pure-blood credentials", as Umbridge's mother was a Muggle and she was truly deeply insecure about her father's low station in the wizarding world. Indeed, it was not uncommon for individuals under Lord Voldemort's regime to lie about their genealogy to avoid persecution or ostracism.

Etymology

Selwyn is an uncommon surname of Anglo-Saxon origin derived from the words sel, "castle", and wyn, "friend". It is also the name of a mountain range in the Canadian Rockies, and a Cambridge College.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
• The Art and Making of Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned only)