2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Markstein
A name of German origin, meaning 'boundary stone' or 'territorial marker'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Markstein. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Markstein surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Markstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Markstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Markstein
The surname Markstein is of German origin, originating in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German words "Mark" meaning "boundary" or "border," and "Stein" meaning "stone," suggesting the name likely referred to someone who lived near a boundary stone or marker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Markstein can be found in the 14th-century records of the city of Nuremberg, where a person named Hans Markstein was documented as a merchant and landowner. Another early reference is found in the 16th-century records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a family by the name of Markstein owned a brewery.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Johann Markstein (1597-1667), a German theologian and author from the city of Lübeck. He wrote several works on theology and philosophy, including a commentary on the Book of Psalms.
During the 18th century, a prominent figure named Georg Markstein (1723-1789) was a German architect and builder who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Würzburg. His most renowned work is the Church of St. Michael, which remains a landmark in the city.
In the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Markstein was Carl Markstein (1824-1901), a German politician and journalist who served as a member of the Reichstag (German parliament) from 1867 to 1884. He was an advocate for democratic reforms and freedom of the press.
Another notable bearer of the name was Hermann Markstein (1856-1932), a German sculptor and artist who created several public monuments and statues in cities across Germany, including the famous "Sword Bearer" statue in Nuremberg.
While the name Markstein is primarily associated with Germany, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, such as Switzerland and Austria, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. However, the origins of the name can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Bavaria and Franconia during the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Markstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Markstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Markstein bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Markstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.8% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Markstein
Markstein appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+12 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,045 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-20 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,985 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +12 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 1,045 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 18,985 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Markstein surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #123,064 | #142,049 | -15.4% |
| Count | 140 | 120 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Markstein bearers went from 140 to 120 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 18,985 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #142,049.
FAQ
Markstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Markstein?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Markstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Markstein?
Markstein ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Markstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Markstein.
Has Markstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Markstein went from 140 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Markstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Markstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (0.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Markstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Markstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.8%), Hispanic (3.3%), Black (0.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Markstein (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Markstein mean?
A name of German origin, meaning 'boundary stone' or 'territorial marker'. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Markstein (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Markstein?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.