Scheel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Scheel 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. Scheel 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 Scheel family

The surname Scheel 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 Scheel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Scheel 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 Scheel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scheel Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Scheel include Schell, Schelle, Schelling, Scheller and others.

Early Notables of the Scheel family

Notables of the period with the name Scheel 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 Scheel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scheel Ranking

In the United States, the name Scheel is the 8,352^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Scheel migration to the United States +

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them:

Scheel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Maria Elisabetha Scheel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1755 2
Friedrich Scheel, who arrived in America in 1783 2
H A Scheel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1794 2

Scheel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Nicolaus Scheel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1802 2
John Scheel, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1838 2
John Scheel, aged 39, who landed in Missouri in 1840 2
Maximilian Scheel, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1846 2
Henriette Scheel, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Scheel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Auguste Scheel, aged 33, who settled in America from Berlin, in 1902
August Scheel, aged 29, who immigrated to America from Berlin, in 1902
Auguste Scheel, aged 4, who landed in America from Auklam, in 1905
August Scheel, aged 37, who landed in America from Hamburg, in 1907
August Scheel, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States from Wiscz, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Scheel (post 1700) +

Johann Friedrich Ludwig "Fritz" Scheel (1852-1907), German-born, American orchestra conductor
Fred Scheel, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1932 3
Walter Scheel (1919-2016), German politician, President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1974-1979)
Karl Friedrich Franz Christian Scheel (1866-1936), German physicist
Günther Scheel (1921-1943), German ace fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe during WWII credited with 71 victories
Günther Scheel, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 71 aerial victories, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Ingeborg Scheel (b. 1907), Swiss Olympic fencer at the 1936 Summer Olympics
Herman Scheel (1859-1956), Norwegian jurist, chief justice of the Supreme Court (1920 to 1929)
Ellen Scheel (b. 1969), Norwegian silver medalist football player

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