NEW YORK, March 19 (Reuters) - The founding family behind Nordstrom Inc is seeking to take the U.S. department store operator private, six years after a similar attempt proved unsuccessful, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Nordstrom has asked investment banks Morgan Stanley and Centerview Partners to reach out to private equity firms and gauge their interest for a potential deal, the sources said.

There is no certainty that a deal will happen, the sources added, asking not to be identified because the matter is confidential.

Nordstrom, Centerview and Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to requests for comment (Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis and Abigail Summerville in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)