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

Eckstein, 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 Eckstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eckstein in America

Eckstein is the 7211th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eckstein surname appeared 4,628 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Eckstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eckstein 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 Eckstein

The surname Eckstein has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared as early as the 12th century. It is derived from the German words "Ecke" meaning "corner" and "Stein" meaning "stone," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a prominent rocky outcrop or corner.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Henricus Eckstein, mentioned in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical records from the region of Brandenburg, in 1195. The name was also found in the Liber Censuum, a medieval tax record from the city of Cologne, in the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Eckstein name appeared in various legal documents and land records across German-speaking regions. Johann Eckstein, a merchant from Nuremberg, was recorded in the city's trade records in 1372. Another notable bearer was Heinrich Eckstein, a scholar and theologian from Konstanz, who lived from 1430 to 1508.

The name spread to other parts of Europe as well. In the 16th century, a family by the name of Eckstein settled in the Netherlands, where they were involved in textile trade. One of their descendants, Pieter Eckstein (1592-1657), was a prominent merchant and member of the Dutch East India Company.

In the 18th century, the Eckstein name gained recognition in the field of science and academia. Johann Gottfried Eckstein (1735-1809) was a German botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy. Another notable figure was Christian Eckstein (1758-1837), a German jurist and professor of law at the University of Jena.

As the 19th century dawned, the Eckstein name continued to be associated with achievements in various fields. Eduard Eckstein (1810-1865) was a German chess master and writer, known for his contributions to the theory of the game. In the field of literature, Ernst Eckstein (1845-1900) was a German poet and playwright who authored several works of poetry and drama.

While this report focuses on the surname Eckstein, it is worth noting that the name has also been used as a given name or middle name in some instances, though the details of its usage as a first name are beyond the scope of this history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eckstein

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

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

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

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