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

Feuerstein, 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 Feuerstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Feuerstein in America

Feuerstein is the 18622nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Feuerstein surname appeared 1,478 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Feuerstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Feuerstein 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 Feuerstein

The surname Feuerstein originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the German words "feuer" meaning fire and "stein" meaning stone, likely referring to a person who worked with or lived near a fireplace or kiln made of stone.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the medieval records of the city of Nuremberg in Bavaria, where a certain Henrich Feuerstein was mentioned as a resident in the year 1294. The name also appears in various other historical documents from the region, such as tax records and guild registers, indicating its widespread use among German-speaking communities.

In the 15th century, a notable individual bearing the name Feuerstein was Hans Feuerstein, a master mason and architect who contributed to the construction of several churches and castles in southern Germany, including the Altes Schloss (Old Castle) in Stuttgart, built between 1435 and 1468.

During the 16th century, the name gained prominence in the literary world with the German poet and satirist Johann Feuerstein (1495-1569), whose works addressed social and political issues of his time. His most famous work, "Der Narrenspiegel" (The Mirror of Fools), was published in 1555 and became a influential satire on the follies and vices of society.

In the 18th century, a member of the Feuerstein family, Georg Friedrich Feuerstein (1725-1798), gained recognition as a renowned clockmaker and inventor in the German city of Augsburg. His innovative clock designs and mechanisms were highly sought after by wealthy patrons across Europe.

Another prominent figure with the surname Feuerstein was the German theologian and philosopher Johann Feuerstein (1801-1876), who was a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation movement and authored several influential works on theology and ethics.

Throughout the centuries, the name Feuerstein has been associated with various occupations and professions, from artisans and craftsmen to scholars and intellectuals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Feuerstein

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

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

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

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