2000
#7,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Rothstein
A Jewish surname derived from the German words "rot" (red) and "stein" (stone), likely referring to a person's hair color or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,410 Americans carry the last name Rothstein. That puts it at #8,254 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,722 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rothstein 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
4.4K
1 in 77,722
Census rank
#8,254
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,846 bearers of the surname Rothstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8254th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rothstein
The surname Rothstein originated in Germany and is of Germanic origin, derived from the Middle High German words "rot" meaning "red" and "stein" meaning "stone." It was likely an occupational surname given to someone who worked with red stones or lived near a red stone building or landmark.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. In historical records, the name appeared with various spellings like Rothsteyn, Rotsteyn, and Rothstayn.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Konrad Rothstein, a merchant from Nuremberg who lived in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Hans Rothstein, a master builder from Augsburg who oversaw the construction of several churches and cathedrals in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, Johann Rothstein, a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg, became a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the spread of Lutheran teachings.
During the 17th century, the name Rothstein appeared in various parts of Europe as the family members migrated and settled in different regions. One notable bearer of the name was Wilhelm Rothstein, a German painter and engraver born in 1635 in Nuremberg, known for his religious artwork.
In the 19th century, Karl Rothstein, a German philologist and classical scholar, was born in 1853 in Berlin. He made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Latin literature and served as a professor at the University of Berlin.
Throughout history, the surname Rothstein has been associated with individuals from various professions, including merchants, artisans, scholars, and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rothstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rothstein 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 Rothstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 3,637
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 96
- Two or more races1.8% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rothstein
Rothstein 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
#8,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,904
-199 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 969 places
2020
#8,254
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,846
-58 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 204 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,489 | 4,103 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,458 | 3,904 | 1.32 | -199 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 969 places |
| 2020 | #8,254 | 3,846 | 1.29 | -58 bearers (-1.5%) | Up 204 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 Rothstein 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 | #8,458 | #8,254 | 2.4% |
| Count | 3,904 | 3,846 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.29 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rothstein bearers went from 3,904 to 3,846 (-1.5% change). The surname moved up 204 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,458 to #8,254.
FAQ
Rothstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rothstein?
Name Census estimates that about 4,410 living Americans carry the surname Rothstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,722 residents.
How common is Rothstein?
Rothstein ranks #8,254 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,846 people with the surname Rothstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,410), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rothstein.
Has Rothstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rothstein went from 3,904 recorded bearers to 3,846. That is a decrease of 58 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,458 to #8,254.
What does the Census say about the background of Rothstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Rothstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (3,637 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rothstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Rothstein (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 Rothstein mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the German words "rot" (red) and "stein" (stone), likely referring to a person's hair color or complexion. 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 Rothstein (1.29 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 Americans have the surname Rothstein?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.