Find out how popular the last name Berstein is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Berstein.
A German surname derived from the words "Ber" (bear) and "Stein" (stone), likely referring to a person who lived near a rocky area.
Berstein, 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 Berstein surname is from the 2010 census data.
Berstein is the 126018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Berstein surname appeared 136 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 Berstein.
We can also compare 2010 data for Berstein 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 126018 | 80216 | 44.42% |
| Count | 136 | 220 | -47.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.05 | 0.08 | -46.15% |
The surname Berstein has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the German words "Bern" meaning "bear" and "stein" meaning "stone." The name likely referred to a place name or a topographic feature, such as a rocky area or a dwelling near a bear-shaped stone formation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Berstein can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the principality of Anhalt, Germany, dated around the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period in the region.
In the 14th century, a merchant named Bernhard Berstein was mentioned in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic alliance of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. This indicates that the name was associated with trade and commerce during that era.
The Berstein surname gained prominence in the 16th century with the birth of Valentin Berstein (1504-1564), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of trigonometry and the calculation of planetary positions.
Another notable figure bearing the name Berstein was Johann Gottfried Bernstein (1695-1782), a German composer and organist who was renowned for his church music compositions during the Baroque period.
In the 19th century, the name gained literary recognition with the birth of Julius Berstein (1839-1917), a German author and playwright known for his satirical works and critiques of social issues.
The 20th century saw the rise of Eduard Berstein (1850-1932), a German social democrat and philosopher who played a significant role in the development of democratic socialism and the revision of Marxist theory.
Throughout history, the Berstein surname has been associated with various fields, including science, music, literature, and political philosophy, highlighting its diverse and rich heritage.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Berstein.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Berstein was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 93.38% | 127 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 0.00% | 0 |
| Hispanic Origin | 6.62% | 9 |
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 Berstein has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.38% | 91.82% | 1.68% |
| Black | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Two or More Races | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 6.62% | 6.82% | -2.98% |
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 Berstein was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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