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

Stein, 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 Stein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stein in America

Stein is the 796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stein surname appeared 43,389 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 15 people would have the surname Stein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stein 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 Stein

The surname "STEIN" originated in Germany and its earliest recorded use dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the German word "stein," meaning "stone" or "rock," which was often used as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or a stony area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis" (1262), a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg. In this record, a person named "Henricus Stein" is mentioned, indicating the presence of the surname in medieval Germany.

During the Middle Ages, the name "STEIN" was particularly common in the regions of Saxony, Silesia, and Pomerania. It was also found in other areas of modern-day Germany, as well as in parts of Austria and Switzerland, where German settlers had established communities.

The name "STEIN" has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Johannes Stein (c. 1300-1368), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris. Another prominent figure was Konrad von Stein (c. 1370-1439), a German statesman and diplomat who served as the Imperial Chancellor under Emperor Sigismund.

In the 16th century, the name gained further prominence with Gerhard Stein (1497-1551), a German Protestant Reformer and close associate of Martin Luther. Another notable bearer of the name was Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), a German philosopher, mathematician, and one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment era.

During the 19th century, the name "STEIN" was carried by several influential figures, including Baron vom Stein (1757-1831), a Prussian statesman who played a key role in the reforms that followed the Napoleonic Wars. Another notable figure was Edith Stein (1891-1942), a German Jewish philosopher, nun, and martyr who was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1998.

While the name "STEIN" has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration. However, its earliest recorded instances and historical significance can be traced back to the medieval and early modern periods in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stein

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

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

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

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