Find out how popular the last name Augenstein is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Augenstein.

Augenstein, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Augenstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Augenstein in America

Augenstein is the 26598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Augenstein surname appeared 916 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Augenstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Augenstein to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Augenstein

The surname Augenstein is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German words "ouge" meaning "eye" and "stein" meaning "stone." It is believed to have originated as a habitational name for someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or landmark resembling an eye.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 14th century in the German regions of Saxony and Thuringia. The name appears in various historical records from this period, including the Leipziger Teilungsbuch, a register of landowners and properties in Leipzig.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Augenstein, a farmer from the village of Großpösna near Leipzig, who was mentioned in a land dispute document from 1398. Another notable figure was Johann Augenstein, a scribe and calligrapher born in Erfurt in 1452, who was renowned for his intricate illuminated manuscripts.

In the 16th century, the name is found in the Reformation-era records of the city of Nürnberg, where a certain Hieronymus Augenstein was listed as a member of the local guild of goldsmiths in 1527. Around the same time, a family by the name of Augenstein is recorded as landowners in the village of Eichenberg in the Principality of Ansbach.

The 17th century saw the birth of Christoph Augenstein (1619-1689), a Lutheran theologian and scholar who served as a professor at the University of Jena. He was a prolific author, publishing numerous works on theology and philosophy.

In the 19th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of the German artist and sculptor Ernst Augenstein (1824-1887), whose works were widely celebrated during his lifetime and can still be found in various museums and galleries across Germany.

As the name spread beyond its original regions, it also underwent some variations in spelling, such as Augenstine, Augensteiner, and Augenstainer, though Augenstein remained the most common form.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Augenstein

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Augenstein.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Augenstein was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Augenstein has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Augenstein was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Augenstein, please contact us.

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