Meaning and origin
The last name Steele has its origins in medieval England and Scotland, deriving from the Middle English word "stel" or "stele," meaning "steel." This surname was often given to individuals who worked with steel or had connections to the steel industry. Alternatively, it could have been a nickname for someone with a strong and resolute personality or a metaphorical reference to a steadfast and unyielding character. Over time, the name Steele has spread beyond the British Isles and can now be found in various English-speaking countries.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#355
Steele was the 355th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 88,230 people, about 30 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Steele
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Steele is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.