Scheele History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Scheele is a Westphalian-German nickname. Such surnames were very common in Westphalia. They were adapted from traditional eke-names, or added names, that described physical characteristics of their bearers. Scheele is a hereditary surname for a person who was either wild or clamorous. The name was originally derived from the German word "schel," which means "noisy" or "loud."

Early Origins of the Scheele family

The surname Scheele was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century on the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the German nation. As early as 1526 they had their seat at the manor Schellenberg near Essen.

Early History of the Scheele family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Scheele research. Another 201 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1562, 1620, 1648, 1680, 1701, 1763, 1774, 1775, 1808, 1809 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Scheele History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scheele Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Scheele include Schell, Schelle, Schelling, Scheller and others.

Early Notables of the Scheele family

Notables of the period with the name Scheele were Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (ca. 1620-1680), an Austrian composer and violinist ; Johann Schelle (1648-1701), a German Baroque composer; Friedrich Wilhelm von Schelling (1775-1854, ennobled...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Scheele Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scheele Ranking

In the United States, the name Scheele is the 16,368^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Scheele migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:

Scheele Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

H Scheele, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 2
Frederick William Scheele, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1847 2
Rudolf Scheele, who landed in Texas in 1850-1906 2
George Scheele, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1869 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Scheele (post 1700) +

Ray Scheele, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Indiana, 2000 3
Lynda D. Scheele, American politician, Mayor of Abilene, Kansas, 1993-94, 1996-97, 2000-01 3
John Scheele, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Passaic County, 1885-86 3
Sir Nicholas Scheele (1944-2014), British academic and businessman, Chancellor of the University of Warwick (2003-2008), President and CEO of Jaguar Cars (1992-1999) and Ford Motor Company (2001-2005)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html