Steel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Germany 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 


The history of the name Steel goes back 1066 when the Norman Conquest of England occurred. Soon after this event, the name would have been given to a person who was strong or reliable. The surname Steele is a metaphor likening the constitution of its bearer to the hard metal of the same name.

Early Origins of the Steel family

The surname Steel was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat from very early times where they were Lords of the manor of Giddy Hall near Sandbach, and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

They were conjecturally descended from Bigot de Loges, a Norman noble who attended King William at the Battle of Hastings. However, William the Conqueror suppressing an uprising by his northern nobles in 1070, laid waste all of Sandbach, a large district in Cheshire, and the family moved north to Scotland.

Early History of the Steel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steel research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1259, 1524, 1610, 1616, 1629, 1637, 1643, 1662, 1672, 1680, 1692, 1697, 1729 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Steel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steel Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Steel has been recorded under many different variations, including Steele, Steill, Steel, Steal and others.

Early Notables of the Steel family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Steel World Ranking

In the United States, the name Steel is the 4,484th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name Steel is ranked the 732nd most popular surname with an estimated 5,305 people with that name. 2 And in New Zealand, the name Steel is the 517th popular surname with an estimated 1,334 people with that name. 3 The United Kingdom ranks Steel as 603rd with 10,843 people. 4

Migration of the Steel family to Ireland

Some of the Steel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Steel migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Steels were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Steel Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Steel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Steel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Steel migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Steel Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Steel Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Steel migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Steel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Steel migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Steel Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Steel migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12
Steel Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Steel (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Steel +
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