Steck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

Steck is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Steck family lived in Pembrokeshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Stock, near Caen, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Early Origins of the Steck family

The surname Steck was first found in Pembrokeshire where they held a family seat from early times. One of the first records of the names was Saint Simon Stock (c. 1165-1265), an English saint who was probably born in Aylesford England. In a vision, The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him and gave him the Carmelite habit, the Brown Scapular and promised that those who die wearing it will be saved.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include the following: Baldewin de Stoke in Suffolk; Mariota de Stoke in Huntingdonshire; Robert de Stokes in Oxfordshire; and Seman de Stokes in Northamptonshire. 1

Peter Stokes (died 1399), was a Carmelite friar at Hitchin, Hertfordshire and later after studying at Oxford rose to become a doctor of divinity before 1382. During the religious troubles of that year Stokes acted as the representative of Archbishop Courtenay in the university. 2

"Thomas Stokes, "armiger," and some, if not all, of the members of his family, which included four sons and twelve daughters, were buried in the church of Ashby Ledgers during the 15th century. Adrian Stokes by right of his wife owned the living of Tifiield in 1575." 3

Early History of the Steck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steck research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1220, 1569, 1590, 1591, 1626 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Steck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steck Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Steck were recorded, including Stoke, Stokes, Stoaks, Stocks and others.

Early Notables of the Steck family

Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Steck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steck Ranking

In the United States, the name Steck is the 9,081^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Steck family to Ireland

Some of the Steck family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steck migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Steck arrived in North America very early:

Steck Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mathias Steck, aged 37, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1736 5
Johann Georg, Steck Jr., who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 5
Friedrich Steck and his four children arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754
Friedrich Steck, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 5

Steck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Natalie Steck, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 5
Josefine Steck, aged 26, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 5
Gottlieb Steck, who arrived in America in 1854 5
Heinrich Julius Steck, who landed in America in 1854 5
Edward Steck, who settled in Texas in 1861

Contemporary Notables of the name Steck (post 1700) +

Leo John Steck (1898-1950), American Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of Salt Lake City (1948–1950)
Daniel Frederic Steck (1881-1950), American politician, United States Senator from Iowa (1926-1931)
Walter Steck, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly 61st District, 1966
Tom Steck, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 2004
John M. Steck, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Virginia, 1912, 1916
Henry S. Steck, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Ohio County, 1901-02
Fred Steck, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Missouri State Senate 27th District, 1964
Daniel Frederic Steck (1881-1950), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1924 (member, Committee on Rules and Order of Business), 1928; U.S. Senator from Iowa, 1926-31
Amos Steck, American Republican politician, Mayor of Denver, Colorado, 1863-64; Chief Justice of Colorado Territorial Supreme Court; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 1880
Anton Steck (b. 1965), German violinist and conductor from Freudenstadt
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Steck Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fortis qui insons
Motto Translation: Innocent fortune.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"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)