Siegel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

Etymology of Siegel

What does the name Siegel mean?

One cannot simply look at the etymology of a Jewish name to truly understand the origins. Rather understanding the vast historical context along with the name will guide you. However, it does make Jewish surnames extremely difficult to trace back to their origins. 1

The name Siegel was derived from the German Siegal, which means 'seal.' Siegel would have been an occupational name assumed by a Jew who engraved seals. In the 18th century, Jews were very prominent in this profession. Another point of origin for the this name is the Hebraic phrase "SeGan Lavia," which means "second rate Levite." 1

Siegel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Segal, Siegal, Siegel, Sigle, Sigler, Sickel, Siedl, Seidl, Zajedl, Ziegler, Ziegelman and many more.

Siegel Ranking

In the United States, the name Siegel is the 1,704^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 2

Siegel migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Siegel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Siegel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "James Goodwill" 3
John Siegel, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1765
Adam Siegel, who landed in New England in 1774 3

Siegel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Regina Siegel, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 3
A M Siegel, who arrived in America in 1836 3
Philipp Siegel, who arrived in North America in 1841 3
Kaspar Siegel, who landed in America in 1852 3
Mrs. Konr Siegel, who arrived in America in 1854 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Siegel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Jakob Siegel, aged 9, who landed in New York, NY in 1901 3
Johann Siegel, aged 21, who arrived in New York, NY in 1901 3
Agnesia Siegel, aged 13, who arrived in New York, NY in 1901 3
Klementina, Luciana, Mark, Jacob, Johan, Theobald, and Wilhelm Siegel, who arrived in New York City in 1901
Luciana Siegel, aged 16, who landed in New York, NY in 1901 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Siegel (post 1700) +

David Alan Siegel (1935-2025), American businessman who founded Westgate Resorts Ltd
Henry Siegel (b. 1852), German-born American merchant, he emigrated at 15 years old, he founded Siegel, Hartsfield & Co in 1876 and Siegel Cooper Company in 1886
Herbert Jay Siegel (1928-2023), American businessman, head of Chris-Craft Industries and was a key figure in the merger of Warner Communications and Time Inc. in 1989
Fred Siegel (1945-2023), American historian and conservative writer, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
Paula Siegel, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1972 4
Paul Siegel, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Queens County 4th District, 1935 4
Nat Siegel, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 2nd District, 1937 4
Mo Siegel, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Colorado, 1980 4
Max Siegel, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 35th District, 1954 4
Martin Siegel, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 21st District, 1912 4
... (Another 30 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Kaganoff, Benzion C. A Dictionary of Jewish names and their history. Schocken Books, 1977. Digital
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html