Sigel
A German masculine name derived from the Old High German word "sigil", meaning "victory".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Sigel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sigel today is around 82 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sigel births was 1932 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sigel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Sigel is about 82 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Sigels were born before 1954.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sigel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1932
6 babies that year
Average age
82
years old
1932 SSA rank
#3,722
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Sigel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sigel from the 1920s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sigel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sigel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sigel
The given name Sigel is believed to have originated from the Old German language, which was spoken by various Germanic tribes during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "sigu," meaning "victory" or "triumph." This suggests that the name was initially bestowed upon individuals as a symbolic representation of strength, bravery, and triumph over adversity.
In the early centuries of the first millennium, the name Sigel was prevalent among the Germanic tribes that inhabited regions of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. As these tribes migrated and interacted with other cultures, the name's popularity spread, leading to variations in spelling and pronunciation across different regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sigel can be found in the Nibelungenlied, an epic German poem from the 13th century. The protagonist, Siegfried, who slays a dragon and becomes a legendary hero, is believed to have been named Sigel in earlier versions of the tale.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sigel. One of the most prominent was Franz Sigel (1824-1902), a German-American military officer who served as a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. His leadership and strategic contributions played a crucial role in several key battles.
Another notable figure was Sigel Feodor Roessler (1866-1937), an Austrian architect and artist who was a pioneer of the Art Nouveau style. His innovative designs and intricate architectural details left a lasting legacy in the cities of Vienna and Prague.
In the realm of literature, Sigel Jakob Lentz (1858-1905) was a German author and poet known for his lyrical works that captured the essence of rural life in his native region of the Black Forest.
Moving forward in time, Sigel Schultz (1923-2010) was a German-American entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the Schultz Family Foundation, which supported various educational and cultural initiatives.
Lastly, Sigel Lucco (born 1978) is a contemporary Italian artist and sculptor whose works have been exhibited in galleries across Europe and the United States, showcasing his unique style and interpretation of the human form.
People
Sigel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sigel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sigel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sigel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sigel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Sigel a common name?
We classify Sigel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sigel most popular?
The single biggest year for Sigel was 1932, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sigel is about 82 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Sigel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sigel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sigel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Sigel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sigel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Sigel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Sigel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.