Stechel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Stechel

What does the name Stechel mean?

The name Stechel was first used by the people of the German province of Westphalia, which lay in the area between the Rhine and Wesser rivers. It is a patronymic name, derived from the given name of the father of the original bearer. Along with metronymic names, which come from the name of the mother of the bearer, patronymics were one of the most popular early German name types. Stechel was derived from the popular medieval Germanic personal name Stecho. The name Stechel is also of local origin that is derived from the Old Germanic word "steck," which referred to a parcel of land. The steck was a tract of pasture land.

Early Origins of the Stechel family

The surname Stechel was first found in Westphalia and the lower Rhine region, where the name Steck came from aristocratic beginnings and gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, holding the title of counts in Dortmund, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Stechel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stechel research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1702 and 1776 are included under the topic Early Stechel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stechel 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 Stechel include Steck, Stech, Stechel, Stecher, Steckler, Steckel, Steckell, Steckle, Steckler, Stecker, Stecklen, Stek and many more.

Early Notables of the Stechel family

Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stechel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stechel family

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: Herman Stek, who sailed to New York in 1709. Benedik Stekle came to New York in 1709 with his wife and five children; Friedrich Steck and his four children arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754.

Contemporary Notables of the name Stechel (post 1700) +

George Hyman Stechel (b. 1922), American physician and member of the American Board of Internal Medicine and of the American College of Chest Physicians