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

Perlstein, 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 Perlstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perlstein in America

Perlstein is the 24802nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perlstein surname appeared 1,004 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Perlstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Perlstein 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 Perlstein

The surname Perlstein is of German and Jewish origin, deriving from the Yiddish words "perl" (pearl) and "stein" (stone). It originated in the late 18th century and was initially used as an ornamental surname, referring to one's occupation as a jeweler or gemstone worker.

Perlstein first appeared in historical records in the late 1700s, primarily concentrated in the German states of Bavaria and Hesse. Early variations of the spelling included Perlstain, Perlstien, and Perlstyn, reflecting regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.

Notable historical figures with the surname Perlstein include Isaac Perlstein (1806-1872), a renowned Talmudic scholar from Vilna, Lithuania. His works on Jewish law and ethics were widely studied throughout Eastern Europe.

In the late 19th century, a surge of Perlstein immigrants arrived in the United States, escaping persecution and seeking economic opportunities. Among them was Solomon Perlstein (1845-1921), a successful businessman who established a thriving textile company in New York City.

Another prominent figure was Eva Perlstein (1880-1957), a German-born sculptor and painter who gained recognition for her avant-garde works in the early 20th century. Her sculptures adorned public spaces in Berlin and Dresden before she fled Nazi Germany in 1938.

During World War II, a notable bearer of the name was Reuben Perlstein (1915-1983), a Polish-American soldier who earned the Silver Star for his bravery in the Battle of the Bulge.

Other historical figures include Samuel Perlstein (1892-1976), a Russian-born author and journalist who documented the Jewish experience in the Soviet Union, and Hanna Perlstein (1918-2008), an Israeli politician and women's rights activist who served in the Knesset for over a decade.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perlstein

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

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

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

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