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

Goldstein, 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 Goldstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goldstein in America

Goldstein is the 1173rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goldstein surname appeared 29,938 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Goldstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goldstein 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 Goldstein

The surname Goldstein originates from Germany, where it first appeared in the 16th century. It is a Jewish name, derived from the German words "gold" meaning gold and "stein" meaning stone. The name likely referred to someone who worked with gold or precious metals, or perhaps lived near a golden-colored stone or rock formation.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Goldstein can be found in the town records of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, dating back to the late 1500s. The name was also present in other German cities such as Berlin and Hamburg during this time period.

In the 17th century, the Goldstein name began to appear in various Jewish community records and documents across Europe. For instance, there are references to individuals with the surname Goldstein in the records of the Jewish community in Amsterdam, Netherlands from the mid-1600s.

A notable early bearer of the name was Rabbi Judah Loeb Goldstein, a respected Jewish scholar and religious leader who lived in Prague, Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Another individual of historical significance was Moses Goldstein, a Jewish merchant and financier who lived in Berlin, Germany in the late 17th century. He was a prominent figure in the city's Jewish community and played a significant role in the economic and cultural life of Berlin during that time.

In the 18th century, the Goldstein name can be found in various regions of Europe, including Poland, where it was often spelled as "Goldsztejn" or "Goldsztain" due to the influence of the Polish language.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Goldstein was Max Goldstein, a German-born American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1870 to 1941. He founded the successful Goldstein's Department Store chain and was known for his charitable contributions to various causes.

Another notable Goldstein was Vida Goldstein, an Australian feminist and social reformer who campaigned for women's suffrage and equal rights. She lived from 1869 to 1949 and was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement in Australia.

In the 20th century, the Goldstein name became more widespread, with individuals bearing the surname making contributions in various fields such as science, literature, and politics. One example is Gérard Goldstein, a French physicist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics. He lived from 1924 to 2004.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goldstein

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

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

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

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