Bleistein last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bleistein

A surname derived from the German words "blei" (lead) and "stein" (stone), indicating an occupation related to lead mining or stonework.

Bleistein, 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 Bleistein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bleistein in America

Bleistein is the 97671st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bleistein surname appeared 186 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 Bleistein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bleistein 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 97671 90252 7.90%
Count 186 190 -2.13%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.07 -15.38%

The history of the last name Bleistein

The surname Bleistein has its origins in the German language, with records indicating its presence as early as the 12th century. The name is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Switzerland, where it was likely derived from the Germanic words "blei," meaning "lead," and "stein," meaning "stone" or "rock." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in lead mining or stonework.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Bleistein name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the 12th century. This text includes references to individuals with the surname Bleistein residing in the town of Freiberg, located in present-day Saxony, Germany.

During the 13th century, the Bleistein name appeared in various records and manuscripts across German-speaking regions. Notably, a certain Henricus Bleistein was mentioned in a document from the year 1248, detailing land transactions in the area of Augsburg, Bavaria.

As the Bleistein family spread throughout Europe, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. In some regions, the name was recorded as Blaystein, Bleystein, or even Pleistein. These variations often reflected local dialects and scribal preferences.

One notable individual bearing the Bleistein surname was Johannes Bleistein, a German clockmaker and inventor who lived from 1536 to 1592. He is credited with significant contributions to the development of mechanical clocks and timepieces during the Renaissance period.

Another prominent figure was Margaretha Bleistein, born in 1612 in Nuremberg, Germany. She gained recognition as a skilled engraver and painter, particularly known for her intricate copper engravings depicting biblical scenes and allegorical subjects.

In the 18th century, the Bleistein name appeared in records related to the mining industry in the Harz Mountains region of Germany. Andreas Bleistein, born in 1723, was a prominent mine operator and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the local mining community.

Moving into the 19th century, Georg Bleistein (1828-1897), a renowned German architect, left his mark on the architectural landscape of Berlin and other German cities. He was responsible for designing several prominent buildings, including the Berliner Börse (Berlin Stock Exchange) and the Reichsbank (Imperial Bank of Germany).

Lastly, the 20th century saw the rise of Max Bleistein (1901-1976), a German-American artist and sculptor known for his abstract and expressionist works. His sculptures and paintings were exhibited in galleries across Europe and the United States, earning him international acclaim.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bleistein

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

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 Bleistein was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.70% 178
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Bleistein has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.70% 97.89% -2.26%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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 Bleistein was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Bleistein last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 11, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bleistein-surname-popularity/.

"Bleistein last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bleistein-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 July, 2025

Bleistein last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bleistein-surname-popularity/.

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