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

Holstein, 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 Holstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holstein in America

Holstein is the 8091st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holstein surname appeared 4,098 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 Holstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holstein 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 Holstein

The surname Holstein originated in the German region of Holstein, located in the northern part of the modern-day German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The name likely dates back to the 12th or 13th century, deriving from the Old Saxon word "holunstein," which means "raised ground" or "hilly land."

The earliest recorded instances of the Holstein surname can be found in medieval records and documents from the Holstein region. One notable example is a land deed from 1287, which mentions a landholder named Heinrich von Holstein. This suggests that the name was already associated with the area during that time period.

Throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, the Holstein surname appeared in various historical records from the region, including tax rolls, court documents, and parish registers. Some notable individuals bearing the name during this time include Gerhard von Holstein (c. 1367-1425), a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Lübeck, and Johann Holstein (c. 1470-1541), a German humanist and scholar.

In the 16th century, the Holstein surname began to spread beyond the borders of the Holstein region as families migrated to other parts of Germany and Europe. One prominent figure from this period was Lucas Holstein (1522-1603), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

As the name spread, it also experienced variations in spelling, including Holsten, Holstyn, and Holsteyn. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and differences in record-keeping practices.

Another notable individual with the Holstein surname was Thomas Holstein (1595-1661), a Dutch politician and diplomat who served as the ambassador of the Dutch Republic to England and France. He was instrumental in negotiating the Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War.

In the 19th century, the Holstein surname gained further prominence with the birth of Friedrich von Holstein (1837-1909), a German diplomat and statesman who played a significant role in shaping the foreign policy of the German Empire under Otto von Bismarck.

Other notable individuals with the Holstein surname include Ernst Johann von Holstein-Gottorp (1784-1853), a German nobleman and military officer, and Benedikt Michael Holstein (1805-1868), a German architect known for his work on various churches and public buildings in Schleswig-Holstein.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holstein

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

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

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

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