Steele is an English surname that comes from the Old English word style and simply means "steel"; it began as a nickname for someone as hard or reliable as the metal, or as an occupational name for a steelworker. As a first name it belongs to the group of tough, one-syllable surname names such as Stone and Reid. Steele has risen from number 1991 in 2000 to number 1185 in 2025, its highest rank so far.