Show ContentsStecklen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Stecklen

What does the name Stecklen mean?

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

The surname Stecklen 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 Stecklen family

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

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

Early Notables of the Stecklen family

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


Stecklen 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:

Stecklen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ulrich Stecklen, who arrived in America in 1731 1


  1. 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)


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