Siegel


Siegel, is a German surname. it can be traced to 11th century Bavaria and was used by people who made wax seals for or sealed official documents. Alternate spellings include Sigel, Sigl, Siegl, and others. "Siegel" is also the modern German word for seal. The name ultimately derives from the Latin sigillum, meaning "seal" as in the "Seal of the City of New York": "Sigillum Civitatis Novi Eboraci." The Germanicized derivative of the name was given to professional seal makers and engravers. Some researchers have attributed the surname to Sigel, referring to Sól, the goddess of the sun in Germanic mythology, but that is highly speculative.

Variants, and false cognates

Variants may routinely include Siegel, Siegle, Sigl and Sigel Most sources indicate that it derives from a Hebrew acronym the abbreviated form of Sagan Gadol ha-Leviya, which means Great assistant to the Levites, and is an honorific title bestowed upon a member of the tribe of Levi who performs synagogue duties faithfully. Further, the double-L in Segall seems to be a specifically Rumanian spelling variant.

Siegel