Steele Surname

3,342nd
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 167,680 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Grenada

Steele Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Steel'. The old Danish Staal (v. Yonge); Icel. Stal. Lower says,' A northern pronunciation of stile.' This is quite inadmissible. All early instances are without prefix. Besides, as 'atte style' became Styles, so 'atte steel' would have become Steels.

Read More About This Surname

Steele Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States113,2791:3,200325
England18,5011:3,012395
Canada10,1511:3,630471
Australia10,0221:2,694361
Scotland3,7871:1,414244
New Zealand1,8981:2,386331
Northern Ireland1,8501:997199
South Africa1,5871:34,1384,363
Jamaica1,5161:1,893309
Wales7621:4,061441
Colombia4601:103,8573,686
Israel4061:21,0783,133
Ireland3981:11,8321,477
Trinidad and Tobago3821:3,571595
Thailand3061:230,84438,969
Germany1571:512,77443,467
Mexico1531:811,28211,732
Panama1491:26,2571,604
Spain1191:392,87421,594
Costa Rica1181:40,5091,024
Grenada1151:944177
Brazil1081:1,982,17063,074
United States Virgin Islands871:1,269201
Guyana701:10,8891,593
Zimbabwe681:227,03325,258
Barbados651:4,422552
Singapore641:86,0583,478
India611:12,574,842222,490
Iran601:1,279,70953,896
Liberia601:73,4766,204
Antigua and Barbuda531:1,871313
Denmark411:137,67612,271
France391:1,703,147154,208
Netherlands381:444,39944,765
Sweden371:266,12918,422
Switzerland351:234,65519,741
Italy331:1,853,23386,897
Venezuela331:915,27514,245
Malaysia321:921,69541,854
Greece301:369,32650,921
Guernsey291:2,222539
Portugal281:372,08012,265
Iraq261:1,346,98715,017
Isle of Man251:3,433731
Dominican Republic231:453,60614,824
Philippines221:4,601,737165,269
China201:68,366,0783,721
Luxembourg201:29,0275,175
Peru191:1,672,84923,436
Norway181:285,68329,080
Belgium161:718,54060,840
Qatar161:147,37516,023
Bermuda151:4,352690
Hong Kong151:489,0323,321
United Arab Emirates151:610,81823,687
Czechia141:759,53467,321
Jersey141:7,0861,520
Guam121:13,3432,098
Saint Lucia121:14,8981,270
Guatemala101:1,608,2675,853
Japan101:12,784,42945,945
Nigeria101:17,714,276277,641
Chile91:1,957,38629,026
Fiji91:99,3771,883
Finland91:610,74534,002
Saint Martin81:4,394114
Ghana71:3,860,09915,346
Cuba61:1,920,4538,345
Northern Mariana Islands61:9,097939
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines61:18,776937
South Korea61:8,540,0431,433
Cambodia51:3,097,4298,690
Croatia51:845,72148,179
Afghanistan41:8,038,29630,874
Malta41:107,5681,849
Puerto Rico41:887,5354,548
Saudi Arabia41:7,713,95437,548
Austria31:2,838,47893,604
Ecuador31:5,301,94930,184
Honduras31:2,938,8147,190
Indonesia31:44,083,065698,220
Kenya31:15,393,30077,493
Latvia31:683,34934,074
Oman31:1,229,3248,987
Papua New Guinea31:2,717,906153,458
Bahamas21:195,8761,708
British Virgin Islands21:15,797839
Iceland21:190,0456,825
Myanmar21:25,968,9922,110
Poland21:19,004,374199,659
Sudan21:18,755,09814,167
Turkey21:38,910,711171,901
Uganda21:19,519,640189,114
Andorra11:83,8382,381
Argentina11:42,743,414282,706
Belize11:355,4743,977
Bolivia11:10,616,43417,077
Brunei11:418,7313,893
Cayman Islands11:63,8932,384
Congo11:4,989,09634,171
Cyprus11:884,87613,055
Dominica11:75,891912
Egypt11:91,935,754132,737
Ethiopia11:97,546,26229,669
Georgia11:3,745,54547,852
Hungary11:9,816,27773,288
Kuwait11:3,800,69427,187
Madagascar11:23,649,8379,420
Marshall Islands11:51,8212,326
Monaco11:37,0664,748
Namibia11:2,409,40119,676
Nepal11:28,480,95622,413
Nicaragua11:6,021,0908,768
Pakistan11:178,643,885213,220
Saint Kitts and Nevis11:55,1991,294
Serbia11:7,144,94838,459
Slovakia11:5,336,450140,422
Solomon Islands11:580,02922,243
Taiwan11:23,444,74693,622
Uruguay11:3,431,75838,295
Vanuatu11:263,2762,086
Yemen11:26,425,29455,147
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland1,5591:2,841533
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England6,0661:4,018578
Scotland1,8701:2,002361
Wales991:15,843942
Isle of Man151:3,618395
Jersey121:4,324761
Guernsey11:32,6562,283
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States13,4801:3,725451

Steele (1,359) may also be a first name.

Steele Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Steel'. The old Danish Staal (v. Yonge); Icel. Stal. Lower says,' A northern pronunciation of stile.' This is quite inadmissible. All early instances are without prefix. Besides, as 'atte style' became Styles, so 'atte steel' would have become Steels. It will be noticeable that all my examples are from the East Coast The Scandinavian origin is manifest. Iron and steel are components of many of these early northern personal names; v. Stallard.

Robert Stele, Lincolnshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

John Stel, Suffolk, ibid.

Johannes Stele, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Wilmus Steel, 1379: ibid.

Willelmus Stele, 1379: ibid.

1651. Married — John Steele, batchler, and Abigell Hannkok: St. Mary Aldermary.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

Of local origin. There are places so named in the shires of Ayr, Berwick, and Dumfries. In Berwickshire the old parish of Steill is now Ladykirk. Henry Stel was juror on inquisition on lands of Hopkelchoc, 1259 (Bain, I, 2162), and William Stele, burgess of Edinburgh, 1423 (Egidii, p. 45). John Steil or Steyll appears as prebendary of Kilmoir, 1434 and 1448 (REB., I, 60; II, 74), and another John Stevll was tenant of part of Cowpergrange, 1486 (Cupar-Angus, I, p. 239). John Steill alios Kempy Steill was hanged for theft, 1524 (Trials, I, p. 126), George Steyll was the king's familiar servitor, 1530 (RMS., III, 957), and Jok Steill appears in the toune of Bowdene, 1567 (Kelso, p. 519). William Steill was piper to one of the two companies of Highland bowmen raised in Argyll, 1627, for service in France. William Steel (1809-1881), noted anti-slavery advocate and one of the organizers of the "underground railroad" (a system of secret co-operation for assisting fugitive slaves to escape to Canada), was born in Biggar, Lanarkshire. Steell 1691, Steile 1453, Stey 1446, Still 1686.

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(English) 1 a pers. name and nick- name from the metal [Old English stýle, stiele = Old Norse stál, steel] Robert Stele.—Hundred Rolls With that great campion Gray Steill [variant Steel].—Sir Gray Steill, 2789.

2 Dweller by a Stile [North. English steel, a stile; Old English stigel] “Steel, pr. of stile”.—Dial. of Lonsdale (N. Lancs), p. 80.

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

(English) One who came from Steel (stile, or place where one has to climb), the name of places in Northumberland and Shropshire.

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

A northern pronunciation of stile. In Scotl. the spur of a hill.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

A name given, in all probability, to a person who was inflexible, hard, firm, or enduring.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

See Stella: hence Steele, baronet.

The Norman People (1874)

From the Dutch, and from the German, Stiel; a personal name.

British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

Steele Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Steele Come From? nationality or country of origin

Steele occurs more in The United States more than any other country/territory. It may be rendered as a variant:. For other potential spellings of Steele click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Steele? popularity and diffusion

It is the 3,342nd most frequently used family name internationally It is held by approximately 1 in 43,461 people. This last name occurs mostly in The Americas, where 68 percent of Steele reside; 66 percent reside in North America and 66 percent reside in Anglo-North America. Steele is also the 212,690th most prevalent first name worldwide, borne by 1,359 people.

The surname Steele is most frequently held in The United States, where it is borne by 113,279 people, or 1 in 3,200. In The United States it is primarily concentrated in: California, where 9 percent reside, Texas, where 7 percent reside and Florida, where 5 percent reside. Not including The United States this surname exists in 121 countries. It also occurs in England, where 11 percent reside and Canada, where 6 percent reside.

Steele Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The frequency of Steele has changed over time. In The United States the number of people bearing the Steele last name rose 840 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it rose 305 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it rose 203 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it rose 770 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it fell 74 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Steele Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those carrying the Steele surname is chiefly Presbyterian (56%) in Ireland.

In The United States those bearing the Steele last name are 13.26% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than The US average, with 60.03% registered to vote for the party.

The amount Steele earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 9.07% less than the national average, earning 314,706 kr per year; in Peru they earn 191.27% more than the national average, earning S/. 56,462 per year; in South Africa they earn 59.47% more than the national average, earning R 378,960 per year; in Colombia they earn 10.8% less than the national average, earning $20,251,200 COP per year; in United States they earn 1.02% less than the national average, earning $42,708 USD per year and in Canada they earn 3.81% more than the national average, earning $51,574 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Steeley921,460/
Steeles92168/
Steeler9282/
Steetle9235/
Steelle926/
Steelee924/
Stehele923/
Steelez922/
Jsteele921/
Steehle921/
Steeleh921/
Stteele921/
Stele91979/
Steehler86103/
Stetelle869/
D'Steele862/
Steieler862/
Steelesr861/
Steelley860/
Stieyele860/
Stehle839,160/
Stelle832,371/
Steely832,194/
Stelea832,064/
Shtele83545/
Steley83156/
Stiele83153/
Stelet83115/
Stesel83112/
Stehel83109/
Steile8357/
Steela8349/
Sthele8348/
Steler8347/
Stoele8336/
Steale8321/
Steles8318/
Staele837/
Stelee835/
Stecel835/
Sttele833/
Steleh833/
Stetel833/
Steeli832/
Stuele832/
Sztele831/
Steelh831/
Stetle830/
Stheel830/
Stesle830/
Steelhead8010/
Stle802/
Steteller802/
Stetler773,247/
Staehle771,261/
Stealey77647/
Stiehle77593/
Stessel77388/
Stehley77284/
Steisel77283/
Stechel77243/
Steiler77232/
Steulet77179/
Shtelle77108/
Steitle77104/
Stehler7795/
Steuler7769/
Szteler7750/
Sztelle7731/
Steitel7729/
Stehsel7728/
Steahle7726/
Steyile7723/
Shteyle7713/
Stelets7713/
Steysel7713/
Steyler7711/
Shtesel776/
Stettel776/
Steihle775/
Stealer774/
Sttelet774/
Stteler773/
Steheli772/
Steyles772/
Steleer772/
Stettle772/
Steisle772/
Shteler771/
Stehles771/
Steiley771/
Stoelle771/
Stetles771/
Staeley771/
Staelhe771/
Steales771/
Stielle771/
Stelett771/
Stejsel771/
Steelha771/
Staelle771/
Stheley771/
Sthelle771/
Steatel770/
Steiles770/
Steetly770/
Stowele770/
Steelly770/
Stetley770/
Stoehle770/
Steelay770/
Steil736,009/
Steyl732,107/
Stile731,701/
Stela731,310/
Style73746/
Støle73650/
Stole73604/
Stale73505/
Steli73241/
Steul73181/
Sthel73142/
Steal7372/
Stely7362/
Ståle739/
Sthle735/
Stleh732/
Sttle732/
Stetl732/
Ştele731/
Stäle731/
Stèle731/
Stelè731/
Stelé731/
Stlle730/
Stettler718,068/
Steytler711,419/
Stedtler71461/
Steullet71236/
Steitler7196/
Shtessel7127/
Steihler7118/
Shteysel7114/
Steissel7111/
Shteisel719/
Shteyler718/
Steichel718/
Steijsel716/
Schtelle716/
Shtetler712/
Staehley712/
Steuhler711/
Stechell711/
Stessell711/
Steuller711/
Stetller711/
Steidtel711/
Steehali711/
Stejjler711/
Stetelli711/
Steatley710/
Steyhler710/
Steahley710/
Stuelley710/
Stettles710/
Stealley710/
Steiyler710/
Sthehley710/
Stheller710/
Steitley710/
Stealler710/
Stiles6734,579/
Staley6726,866/
Stolle6711,107/
Stille674,111/
Stähle671,847/
Stahle671,136/
Stehli67908/
Sthole67849/
Stehly67719/
Ståhle67605/
Stoyle67508/
Stiler67385/
Stelya67290/
Stolee67267/
Steily67208/
Stelia67207/
Stealy67170/
Stiley67162/
Stalea67161/
Stieli67157/
Steill67145/
Sztela67144/
Stoley67142/
Stiely67135/
Stiole67125/
Stihle67110/
Stalle67102/
Shteli6799/
Stitle6794/
Stolea6793/
Steuhl6788/
Staely6771/
Stehlé6759/
Støyle6746/
Stayle6745/
Stilet6744/
Steijl6742/
Stehelová6742/
Steloi6735/
Stelio6732/
Stelis6728/
Støhle6726/
Steula6724/
Stohle6724/
Steahl6723/
Steili6722/
Stylee6721/
Steihl6720/
Stalee6719/
Šteler6719/
Steall6718/
Steila6718/
Staile6715/
Shtela6713/
Shtole6712/
Sztole6712/
Staale6711/
Steïly6711/
Stelhy6711/
Stelai679/
Stölle679/
Steali679/
Stelit678/
Shtile677/
Stheli675/
Sthiel675/
Sthela675/
Staleh675/
Styley674/
Stoile674/
Sthely674/
Styole674/
Shteyl673/
Sttela673/
Steadtler673/
Stalei673/
Šteleň673/
Shtale672/
Steild672/
Steloy672/
Stueli672/
Stilez672/
Stehelova672/
Stecil672/
Stelha672/
Steasl671/
Stehleová671/
Stelay671/
Steliy671/
Stisle671/
Stoely671/
Stoule671/
Steullett671/
Sthale671/
Staeli671/
Steala671/
Sthåle671/
Stilea671/
Stißel671/
Stoeli671/
Steilj671/
Staleu671/
Sthile671/
Stitel671/
Staule671/
Sttely671/
Stechille671/
Stiteller670/
Stelie670/
Steidtler670/
Stheal670/
Steliz670/
Stiled670/
Stheil670/

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Steele Reference & Research

Steele DNA Website - A web page dedicated to the genetic research of those who bear the surname and its variants.

Steele FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Steele
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis