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

Steele, 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 Steele surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Steele in America

Steele is the 355th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Steele surname appeared 88,230 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 30 people would have the surname Steele.

We can also compare 2010 data for Steele 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 Steele

The surname STEELE is of English origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'stele', meaning 'a haft' or 'a handle'. This was likely an occupational name given to someone who made or worked with handles, hafts, or other related tools.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Stele'. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 12th century, the name appears in various forms such as 'Stel', 'Stele', and 'Stell', reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. Some of these early spellings may also be connected to place names like Stele in Staffordshire or Stelling in Kent.

Notable individuals with the surname STEELE include Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729), an Irish writer and playwright who co-founded The Spectator magazine. Another famous bearer of the name was Thomas Steele (1788-1848), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.

In the 13th century, the surname STEELE can be found in various records, including the Curia Regis Rolls of 1208, which mention a Richard Stel. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also list several individuals with the name, such as Walter le Stel and Adam le Stel.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the spelling of the name became more standardized as 'Steele'. Notable figures from this period include Sir Richard Steele (1617-1692), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

Other prominent individuals with the surname STEELE include Sir John Steele (1758-1853), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy, and Sir Thomas Steele (1788-1848), a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Bahamas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Steele

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

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 Steele 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 Steele 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 Steele was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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