Show ContentsSteckel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Steckel was first used by the people of the German province of Westphalia, which lay in the area between the Rhine and Wesser rivers. It is a patronymic name, derived from the given name of the father of the original bearer. Along with metronymic names, which come from the name of the mother of the bearer, patronymics were one of the most popular early German name types. Steckel was derived from the popular medieval Germanic personal name Stecho. The name Steckel is also of local origin that is derived from the Old Germanic word "steck," which referred to a parcel of land. The steck was a tract of pasture land.

Early Origins of the Steckel family

The surname Steckel was first found in Westphalia and the lower Rhine region, where the name Steck came from aristocratic beginnings and gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, holding the title of counts in Dortmund, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Steckel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steckel research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1702 and 1776 are included under the topic Early Steckel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steckel Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Steckel include Steck, Stech, Stechel, Stecher, Steckler, Steckel, Steckell, Steckle, Steckler, Stecker, Stecklen, Stek and many more.

Early Notables of the Steckel family

Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Steckel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Steckel migration to the United States +

After 1650, thousands of German settlers came to North America to escape the religious persecution and poverty that wracked Europe and to make the most of the opportunity to own their own land in a new country. They settled across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, and in Canada in Ontario and on the fertile plains of the prairie provinces. Among them:

Steckel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Peter Steckel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 1
  • Simon Steckel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 1
  • Johannes Steckel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1750 1
Steckel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Steckel, who landed in Maryland in 1832 1
  • Heinrich Steckel, who arrived in Ohio in 1865 1
Steckel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Georg Steckel, who arrived in Chile in 1906 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Steckel (post 1700) +

  • Roy Edmund Steckel (1887-1950), Los Angeles Police Department Chief of Police (1929-1933)
  • Les Steckel (b. 1946), American football coach, 3rd Head Coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1984
  • Eric Steckel (b. 1990), American blues guitarist and singer
  • William A. Steckel (1921-2002), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1969-1970)
  • Richard H. Steckel (b. 1944), American heterodox economist
  • Anita Slavin Arkin Steckel (b. 1930), American feminist artist
  • David Steckel (b. 1982), American professional NHL ice hockey center
  • Harvey H. Steckel, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1928
  • Leonard Steckel (1901-1971), German actor and director of stage and screen


  1. 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)


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