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

Steeley, 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 Steeley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Steeley in America

Steeley is the 27556th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Steeley surname appeared 874 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Steeley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Steeley 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 Steeley

The surname Steeley traces its origins back to the Middle Ages in England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'stal', meaning steel or made of steel. The name likely referred to an occupation such as a blacksmith or someone who worked with steel.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as 'Stele'. This suggests that the surname had already been established in England by the late 13th century.

During the 14th century, the name began to take on various spellings, including Steley, Steely, and the modern form of Steeley. This was not uncommon during this period, as spelling conventions were yet to be standardized.

In the 16th century, the Steeley name can be found in several historical records, such as parish registers and tax rolls. One notable example is John Steeley, a merchant from Bristol who was born in 1541 and died in 1612.

The 17th century saw the Steeley family spread across different regions of England. In 1642, during the English Civil War, a Richard Steeley is recorded as a Captain in the Parliamentarian army.

As the centuries passed, the Steeley name continued to be present in various parts of England. In the late 18th century, a notable figure was William Steeley, a renowned architect who was born in 1764 and died in 1838.

Another prominent individual with the surname Steeley was Sir John Steeley, a British politician and diplomat who lived from 1805 to 1878. He served as a Member of Parliament and held several diplomatic posts, including Ambassador to Prussia.

In the 19th century, the Steeley family had members who made significant contributions in various fields. For instance, Edward Steeley (1818-1892) was a renowned mathematician and educator, while George Steeley (1839-1901) was a respected writer and poet.

One of the most famous individuals with the Steeley surname was Sir Alfred Steeley, a celebrated explorer and naturalist who lived from 1863 to 1944. He is best known for his expeditions to the Amazon rainforest and his contributions to the field of botany.

While the surname Steeley is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and has produced notable individuals in various walks of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Steeley

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

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

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

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