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Steel Family History

Steel Surname Meaning

English: variant of Steele. Americanized form (translation into English) of German Stahl and Swedish Ståhl or Stål

all meaning ‘steel’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Steel family from?

You can see how Steel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Steel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Steel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,736 Steel families living in Yorkshire. This was about 23% of all the recorded Steel's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Steel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Steel surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Steel ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Steel. 7% of Steel men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Steel women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Steel were Bricklayer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Steel | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Retired
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Steel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 335,000 census records available for the last name Steel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Steel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Steel

Passenger Lists

There are 30,000 immigration records available for the last name Steel. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Steel immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 37,000 military records available for the last name Steel. For the veterans among your Steel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Steel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Steel family history

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What is the average Steel lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Steel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Steel in 1942 was 53, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Steel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Steel ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Steel family tree

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