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

Lichtenstein, 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 Lichtenstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lichtenstein in America

Lichtenstein is the 12602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lichtenstein surname appeared 2,456 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 Lichtenstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lichtenstein 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 Lichtenstein

The surname Lichtenstein originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely in the late Middle Ages or early modern period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Lichtenstein, which means "bright stone" or "shining rock" in German.

The name Lichtenstein was initially associated with various locations bearing that name, such as the municipality of Lichtenstein in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, or the village of Lichtenstein in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. These places were often named after prominent rock formations or castles situated on hilltops, which appeared bright or shining from a distance.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Lichtenstein can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th century. In this codex, a person named Henricus de Lychtenstein is mentioned in a document from 1290.

Another notable early bearer of the name was Johann von Lichtenstein, a 14th-century Bohemian knight and poet, known for his participation in the Crusades and his autobiographical work "Frauendienst" (Service to Ladies). He was born around 1310 and died in 1390.

In the 15th century, the Lichtenstein family rose to prominence as a noble dynasty in the Holy Roman Empire. They acquired various territories and played a significant role in the political and cultural life of Central Europe. Notable members include Hartmann von Lichtenstein (1415-1486), a German nobleman and military leader, and Maximilian von Lichtenstein (1578-1631), a Bavarian count and military commander during the Thirty Years' War.

The name Lichtenstein also has a connection to the Principality of Liechtenstein, a German-speaking microstate in Central Europe. While the ruling House of Liechtenstein traces its origins to the Castle of Liechtenstein in Lower Austria, some scholars suggest a possible link between the family name and the surname Lichtenstein.

Other notable individuals with the surname Lichtenstein include Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), an American pop artist known for his comic book-inspired paintings, and Walter Lichtenstein (1880-1939), an Austrian-American jurist and legal scholar.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lichtenstein

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

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

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

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