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

Steels, 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 Steels surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Steels in America

Steels is the 94730th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Steels surname appeared 193 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 Steels.

We can also compare 2010 data for Steels 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 Steels

The surname Steels has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "stæl," meaning "steel" or "made of steel." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked with steel or had a connection to the steel trade.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Steels can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Stelesworthe" or "Steel's farm." This indicates that the name was already in use as a surname or a place name by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Steels family was likely based in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Northumberland, where the steel industry flourished due to the availability of iron ore and coal. Some notable individuals from this period include William Steels (c. 1280-1345), a landowner in Yorkshire, and Robert Steels (c. 1320-1390), a merchant in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Steels began to spread across other parts of England, with records showing variations such as Steele, Stele, and Steill. One prominent figure was Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729), an Irish writer, playwright, and co-founder of the Spectator magazine.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, the Steels surname had become well-established in various regions of the United Kingdom. Notable individuals from this period include Eliza Steele (1760-1838), a Scottish novelist, and John Henry Steele (1825-1890), a British painter and illustrator.

Other famous individuals with the Steels surname include Thomas Steele (1788-1848), an American politician and judge; Wilbur Daniel Steele (1886-1970), an American author and poet; and George Steele (1937-2017), an American professional wrestler known as "The Animal."

Throughout its history, the surname Steels has maintained its association with the steel industry, metalworking, and manufacturing. While the spelling may have varied over time, the name's origins can be traced back to the medieval period in northern England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Steels

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

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

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

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