Find out how popular the last name Steel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Steel.

Steel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Steel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Steel in America

Steel is the 4949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Steel surname appeared 7,111 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Steel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Steel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Steel

The surname Steel has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the late 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'stal' or 'stel', meaning steel. This name would have been given to someone who worked as a steelmaker or a seller of steel products.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a man named Richard le Stelere was mentioned. Another early record is from the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1205, which mentions a William Stel.

During the Middle Ages, the Steel family was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, including Yorkshire and Lancashire. The name often appeared in various spellings, such as Stele, Steele, and Stiele, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Steel, a merchant who lived in York in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in the city's records as a prominent citizen and landowner.

Another significant figure was Sir Richard Steel, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived in the 15th century. He served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1462 to 1478 and played a crucial role in the legal affairs of the time.

In the 16th century, the Steel family had established itself in various parts of England, including London. One notable member was Sir Richard Steel, a successful merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1592.

The name also has connections to place names, such as Steel Cross in Wiltshire and Steel Green in Hertfordshire. These locations may have been named after Steel families who lived in or owned land there.

Other notable individuals with the surname Steel throughout history include John Steel (1572-1637), an English clergyman and author; Sir John Steel (1620-1661), an English royalist soldier during the English Civil War; and Thomas Steel (1670-1725), a Scottish mathematician and writer.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Steel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Steel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Steel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Steel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Steel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Steel, please contact us.

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