Spegel 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 Spegel. In the German provinces, after the 12th century, hereditary surnames that were derived from occupations became increasingly widespread. Spegel 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 Spegel family

The surname Spegel 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 Spegel family

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

Spegel Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Spegel include Spiegel, Spiegl, Spiegle, Spiegele, Spiegeler, Spiegler, Spiegelmann, Spiegelman, Spiegil, Spiegell, Spiegill, Spegel (northern Germany), Spigeler and many more.

Early Notables of the Spegel family

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

Spegel migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:

Spegel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Philip Spegel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 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)