The Stickel(s) Name
We believe that the "Stickel(s)" name comes from Germany. I have heard two definitions regarding the meaning of "Stickel". One is that a "Stickel" in German is the marker used to mark property lines. Small stakes placed in the ground are called "stickel's". I have also heard that a "stickel" is used in a garden to mark its border. Sometimes a string or line is drawn from one "stickel" to another to make a simple fence.
In my family, the "Stickel(s)" family name has many different spellings. Just a few of the spellings are "Stickle", "Stickles", "Stickel", and "Stickell". Our research has taken our family back to Winchester, Virginia, USA in the early 1800's. My earliest ancestors spelled their name "Stickle" and "Stickel" and over the generations the name has changed to these various spellings. It is our belief that the "Stickel(s)" surname and all its various spellings are related to the same German approximation and that this variation in spelling is common in all English speaking countries. In addition, we believe this name variation has taken place among various "Stickel(s)" families all over the world.
I searched the telephone directory white pages using "comsearch.whitepages.com" and got the following results for the US. The most popular spelling is "Stickel" without the "S". The second most popular spelling is "Stickle" without the "S". The spelling "Stickles" is a close third and the spelling of "Stickels" is a distant fourth. There are only 94 people in the US who spell their name "Stickell" with the two "l's".