Spiegeler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The German province of Westphalia nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers, is the birthplace of the distinguished name Spiegeler. In the German provinces, after the 12th century, hereditary surnames that were derived from occupations became increasingly widespread. Spiegeler is an occupational name for a person who made or sold mirrors. This distinguished name was originally derived both from the German word "spiegel," which means "mirror" and from the Yiddish word "shpigl," which mean "to look" or "to see." The German word "spiegel" is itself derived from the Old German word "spiagal," from the Latin word "specullum."

Early Origins of the Spiegeler family

The surname Spiegeler was first found in Westphalia, where this noble family name, traced as early as 1100, became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the feudal system.

Early History of the Spiegeler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spiegeler research. Another 249 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1252, 1257, 1396, 1558, 1691, 1757, 1764, 1776, 1787, 1805, 1835 and 1837 are included under the topic Early Spiegeler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spiegeler 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 Spiegeler include Spiegel, Spiegl, Spiegle, Spiegele, Spiegeler, Spiegler, Spiegelmann, Spiegelman, Spiegil, Spiegell, Spiegill, Spegel (northern Germany), Spigeler and many more.

Early Notables of the Spiegeler family

Notables of the period with the name Spiegeler were Count Ferdinand August von Spiegel (1764-1835), of the House of Diesenberg-Hanxleden, who was the Archbishop of Cologne, as well as a Prussian privy councillor. Count Caspar Philipp von Speigel (1776-1837), of the...
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Spiegeler Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spiegeler 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:

Spiegeler Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joh Heinr Spiegeler, who landed in America in 1834 1

Citations +

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)