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

Epstein, 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 Epstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Epstein in America

Epstein is the 2786th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Epstein surname appeared 12,952 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Epstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Epstein 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 Epstein

The surname Epstein is of German origin, derived from the Yiddish "Eppeshteyn," which means "from the place of apple trees." The name likely originated in the 13th or 14th century in the German states.

Epstein is a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near or owned an apple orchard or a place where apple trees grew in abundance. It is also possible that the name was given as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked with or sold apples.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Epstein can be found in German records from the 16th century. In 1543, a document from the town of Augsburg mentions an "Abraham Epstein." Another early reference is from 1567, when a "Hertz Epstein" is recorded in the city of Frankfurt.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Epstein was Marcus Epstein, a Jewish scholar and author who lived in Prague in the late 16th century. His work, "Kol Bo," published in 1574, was an important text on Jewish laws and customs.

In the 17th century, the name Epstein appears in various records across Germany. For instance, in 1638, a "Samuel Epstein" is listed in the town of Worms, and in 1677, a "Moses Epstein" is documented in the city of Cologne.

A notable figure with the surname Epstein was Jacob Epstein, a renowned American sculptor born in New York in 1880. He is best known for his modernist sculptures, including the iconic "Rock Drill" and the controversial "Rima" nude figures.

Another prominent individual was Sir Jacob Epstein, a British sculptor and artist born in 1880 in New York City. He is renowned for his avant-garde sculptures, such as the controversial "Rima" and the iconic "Rock Drill."

Melchior Epstein, a Polish-German rabbi and scholar born in 1570, was a significant figure in Jewish religious studies. He authored several influential works, including "Arba Turim" and "Chidushei Agadot."

Marcus Epstein, a Jewish scholar and author from Prague in the late 16th century, is notable for his influential work "Kol Bo," published in 1574, which covered Jewish laws and customs.

Lastly, Theodor Epstein, a German-American philosopher and author born in 1870, made significant contributions to the field of aesthetics with his works, including "The Essence of Philosophy" and "The Meaning of Life."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Epstein

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

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

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

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