Explore the Family Name Steele
The meaning of Steele
1. English and Scottish: nickname from Middle English stel(e) ‘steel’, perhaps used for someone considered as hard and durable as steel, or for a foundry worker. 2. English: variant of Stile. 3. Scottish: habitational name from one or more of the places called Steel(e) or Steill in Ayrshire, Berwickshire, and Dumfriesshire, from Scots steel ‘steep bank, spur of a ridge’. 4. Americanized form (translation into English) of German Stahl or Stahle and Swedish Ståhl, Stål, or Ståhle, all meaning ‘steel’. History: This name was brought independently to New England by several different bearers from the 17th century onward. John Steele was one of the founders of Hartford, CT, in 1635 (coming from Cambridge, MA with Thomas Hooker).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Steele in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Steele has seen a modest increase in its overall popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked at 331 with a count of 84,353, equating to about 31.27 per 100,000 people in the United States. However, by 2010, while the rank slipped slightly to 355, the actual count increased to 88,230, representing 29.91 per 100,000 people. This denotes a 4.6% increase in individuals bearing the Steele surname over the decade, even though its ranking fell by about 7.25%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #331 | #355 | -7.25% |
| Count | 84,353 | 88,230 | 4.6% |
| Proportion per 100k | 31.27 | 29.91 | -4.35% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Steele
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Steele also saw shifts within the same 10 year period, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The proportion of individuals identifying as White decreased from 80.39% in 2000 to 78.25% in 2010. Conversely, those identifying as Black increased from 14.94% to 15.60%. Additionally, there was a notable increase in the Hispanic category, rising from 1.71% to 2.43%, and similar growth in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, moving from 0.41% to 0.53%. There was also a rise in those identifying with two or more races, increasing from 1.47% to 2.02%, and a slight uptick in American Indian and Alaskan Native, from 1.08% to 1.15%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.39% | 78.25% | -2.66% |
| Black | 14.94% | 15.6% | 4.42% |
| Hispanic | 1.71% | 2.43% | 42.11% |
| Two or More Races | 1.47% | 2.02% | 37.41% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.08% | 1.15% | 6.48% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.53% | 29.27% |
Steele ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Steele is British & Irish, which comprises 52.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.3%) and Eastern European (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.7% |
| French & German | 24.3% |
| Eastern European | 4.0% |
| Other | 19.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Steele
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Steele have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
What Steele haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Steele is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z2961 and I-Z138, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Walker, Roberts, Miller, Hill, Johnson, White, Harding, Cook, Brown.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Steele surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Steele have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Steele" Surname 43.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Steele" Surname 31.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Steele" Surname 23.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Steele" Surname 17.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Steele?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Steele are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition