Spiegel (surname)

Spiegel is a surname of German origin. In German language Spiegel means mirror.[1]

Spiegel is an ancient German Christian surname. Family tradition says it was taken from a town or lake named Spiegel. There is a small community south of Munich named Spiegel. The name Spiegel goes back to at least the 12th century, when the Spiegel family were barons of Desenburg and Peckelsheim in Hessen; one noted person was Heinrich III Spiegel zum Desenberg (1361–80), Bishop of Paderborn.

There are also a significant number of Jewish people with the surname, and it is said that this name originated from a house sign in the Frankfurt am Main (Judengasse) picturing a mirror.[2] The form Spiegel is documented in Frankfurt am Main since the 16th century. Variants are Szpiegel, Schpiegel, Shpi(e)gel, Şpighel, etc. Family lore, as told by the family of Joseph Spiegel scion of the Spiegel Family of catalogue fame, says that the family name in Germany had been Meyer. Big Meyer, bought a large mirror for the house. When he got it home, it was too big to fit. So, it was leaned against a nearby tree. When people came into the valley, the sun reflected off the mirror. The house became known as the Spiegel house. The family adopted the name.