Steines History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The long and noble heritage behind the name of Steines first began in medieval Austria. While the patronymic and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the name of the father and mother respectively, are the most common form of a hereditary surname in Germany, occupational surnames also emerged during the late Middle Ages. Many people, such as the Steines family, adopted the name of their occupation as their surname. However, an occupational name did not become a hereditary surname until the office or type of employment became hereditary. The surname Steines literally means "stone" 1 and was an occupational name for a stone cutter. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old German word stein, meaning stone. In some cases the name may be topographical in nature and derive from the fact the original bearer lived near a prominent stone or rock.

Early Origins of the Steines family

The surname Steines was first found in Austria, in the cities of Berne and Neuchatel, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in regional political struggles for power. They branched into many houses in Austria, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Steines family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steines research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1796, 1809, 1810, 1820, 1838, 1863 and 1935 are included under the topic Early Steines History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steines 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 Steines include Steiner, Steinert, Steinertz, Steinerth, Steinere, Stein, Steine and many more.

Early Notables of the Steines family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Steines Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steines migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Steines or a variant listed above:

Steines Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

George Steines, who landed in Virginia in 1662 2

Steines Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anna K Steines, aged 21, who landed in North America in 1863 2
Anna Katharine Steines, who arrived in North America in 1863 2
J B Steines, who arrived in Iowa in 1885 2
Jakob Steines, who landed in America in 1893 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Steines (post 1700) +

Mark Anthony Steines (b. 1964), American broadcast journalist
Günther Steines (1928-1982), German bronze medalist athlete at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Citations +

Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
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)