Stecher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The name Stecher 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. Stecher was derived from the popular medieval Germanic personal name Stecho. The name Stecher 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 Stecher family

The surname Stecher 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 Stecher family

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

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

Early Notables of the Stecher family

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

Stecher migration to the United States +

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them:

Stecher Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Melcher Stecher, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
Johannes Jerick Stecher, aged 23, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 1
Joseph Stecher, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 1

Stecher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Wilh. Stecher, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Galveston"
Johanna Stecher, aged 7, who arrived in New York in 1854 1
Christiane Stecher, aged 31, who landed in New York in 1854 1
Friederich Stecher, who arrived in New York in 1854 1
Georg Stecher, aged 46, who landed in New York in 1854 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Stecher (post 1700) +

Theodore Paul Stecher (b. 1930), renowned American astrophysicist, the U.S. Project scientist on the Netherlands Astronomical Satellite (1970) and who received the prestigious John C. Lindsay award from NASA in 1966
Mario Stecher (b. 1977), Austrian Olympian skier who won two gold and two bronze medals at the 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 games

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)