2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ebstein
A German surname derived from a place name or related to the Yiddish word "ebstine" meaning precious stone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Ebstein. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ebstein surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Ebstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ebstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ebstein
The surname EBSTEIN is of German origin, originating from the regions of Bavaria and Swabia in southern Germany. It is believed to have emerged in the 16th century, derived from the Old High German word "eban," meaning "level" or "even," suggesting a connection to a person who lived on a flat or level terrain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of the town of Nürnberg, where an individual named Hans Ebstein was listed in 1573. This document provides valuable insight into the early existence and use of the surname in the region.
In the 17th century, the EBSTEIN name appeared in various historical documents, including the records of the Thirty Years' War, where a soldier named Johann Ebstein was mentioned as serving in the Imperial Army. This reference highlights the presence of individuals bearing the surname during a significant historical period in Germany.
The EBSTEIN surname has also been associated with notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is Wilhelm Ebstein (1836-1912), a renowned German physician and pathologist who made significant contributions to the field of medicine. He is credited with describing a congenital heart defect known as Ebstein's anomaly, which bears his name.
Another prominent individual with the EBSTEIN surname was Carl Ebstein (1875-1942), a German industrialist and businessman who played a crucial role in the development of the German automobile industry in the early 20th century. He was a co-founder of the Opel automobile company and served as its managing director for several years.
In the realm of literature, the name EBSTEIN is associated with Erich Ebstein (1880-1944), a German writer and playwright known for his works exploring social and political themes. His plays, including "Der Kaufmann von Berlin" (The Merchant of Berlin), gained recognition for their insightful commentary on contemporary society.
Additionally, the EBSTEIN surname can be linked to geographical locations in Germany. For instance, the village of Ebsteinburg in the district of Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, Hesse, is believed to have derived its name from the surname, suggesting a possible connection between the name and a specific place or settlement.
While the EBSTEIN surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with individuals bearing the name contributing to diverse fields and communities across different cultures and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ebstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Ebstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ebstein bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ebstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 109
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ebstein
Ebstein appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,213 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-10 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,627 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 4,213 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 10,627 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ebstein surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #137,327 | #147,954 | -7.7% |
| Count | 122 | 112 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ebstein bearers went from 122 to 112 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 10,627 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #147,954.
FAQ
Ebstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ebstein?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Ebstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Ebstein?
Ebstein ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Ebstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ebstein.
Has Ebstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ebstein went from 122 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Ebstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ebstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ebstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ebstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ebstein (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ebstein mean?
A German surname derived from a place name or related to the Yiddish word "ebstine" meaning precious stone. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ebstein (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Ebstein?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.