2000
#720
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,331
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.06
Uncommon Last name
Stein
A toponymic surname derived from a place of residence near a stone, rock, or boulder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 47,454 Americans carry the last name Stein. That puts it at #812 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,223 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stein 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Stein with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
47K
1 in 7,223
Census rank
#812
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
41K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 41,382 bearers of the surname Stein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 812th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis" (1262), a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stein
Among Census respondents with the surname Stein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Stein 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 Stein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 37,964
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 1,368
- Two or more races2.5% · 1,051
- Black or African American1.2% · 484
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 362
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 153
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stein
Stein 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
#796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,389
+58 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 14.71
Rank movement Down 76 places
2020
#812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 41,382
-2,007 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 13.84
Rank movement Down 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #720 | 43,331 | 16.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #796 | 43,389 | 14.71 | +58 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 76 places |
| 2020 | #812 | 41,382 | 13.84 | -2,007 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 16 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 Stein 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 | #796 | #812 | -2.0% |
| Count | 43,389 | 41,382 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 14.71 | 13.84 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stein bearers went from 43,389 to 41,382 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #796 to #812.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Stein
FAQ
Stein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stein?
Name Census estimates that about 47,454 living Americans carry the surname Stein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,223 residents.
How common is Stein?
Stein ranks #812 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 41,382 people with the surname Stein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (47,454), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Stein.
Has Stein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stein went from 43,389 recorded bearers to 41,382. That is a decrease of 2,007 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #796 to #812.
What does the Census say about the background of Stein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Stein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (37,964 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Stein (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 Stein mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a place of residence near a stone, rock, or boulder. 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 Stein (13.84 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 common is the surname Stein?
You can see how many people have the surname Stein on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.