2000
#32,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 657
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Einstein
A German surname derived from a word meaning "one stone" or "boulder".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 806 Americans carry the last name Einstein. That puts it at #34,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 425,254 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Einstein 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
806
1 in 425,254
Census rank
#34,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
703
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 703 bearers of the surname Einstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Einstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Einstein
The surname Einstein is of German origin, derived from the German word "Einsteiner," which means "a person from Einstein." Einstein is a place name that can be traced back to the Middle Ages, specifically to the region of Bavaria in southern Germany.
The earliest known record of the surname Einstein dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in a document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the present-day state of Bavaria. This document mentioned a certain "Conradus Einsteiner," who was likely a resident of the village of Einstein at that time.
In the 14th century, the surname Einstein was also found in records from the city of Nuremberg, another important center in medieval Bavaria. These records include references to individuals such as "Heinricus Einsteiner" and "Bartholomeus Einsteiner," who were likely merchants or craftsmen living in the city.
Over the centuries, the spelling of the surname evolved slightly, with variations such as "Einstain," "Einstainer," and "Einsteyner" appearing in different documents and records. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained the same, indicating a connection to the village of Einstein.
One notable individual with the surname Einstein was Hans Einstein, a renowned German jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1598 to 1663. He served as a professor of law at the University of Ingolstadt and was widely respected for his expertise in civil and canon law.
Another prominent figure bearing the Einstein surname was Johann Michael Einstein, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1679 to 1740. He was a prolific writer and published numerous works on topics such as metaphysics, ethics, and natural theology.
Of course, the most famous person with the surname Einstein is undoubtedly Albert Einstein, the renowned theoretical physicist who lived from 1879 to 1955. His groundbreaking theories, including the theory of relativity, revolutionized our understanding of space, time, and the universe.
Other individuals with the Einstein surname include the German-American composer and music theorist Alfred Einstein (1880-1952), known for his contributions to the study of music history and theory, and the American mathematician and computer scientist Herbert Einstein (1904-1973), who made significant contributions to the field of computer science.
Overall, the surname Einstein has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Germany and the village of Einstein in Bavaria. Despite its widespread recognition today, the name's origins remain deeply rooted in this specific geographic region and its linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Einstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Einstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Einstein 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 Einstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 643
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 22
- Two or more races2.7% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 15
- Black or African American0.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Einstein
Einstein 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
#34,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 659
+2 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 1,490 places
2020
#34,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 703
+44 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 275 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,900 | 657 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,390 | 659 | 0.22 | +2 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 1,490 places |
| 2020 | #34,665 | 703 | 0.24 | +44 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 275 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 Einstein 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 | #34,390 | #34,665 | -0.8% |
| Count | 659 | 703 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.24 | 6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Einstein bearers went from 659 to 703 (+6.7% change). The surname moved down 275 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,390 to #34,665.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Einstein
FAQ
Einstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Einstein?
Name Census estimates that about 806 living Americans carry the surname Einstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 425,254 residents.
How common is Einstein?
Einstein ranks #34,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 703 people with the surname Einstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (806), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Einstein.
Has Einstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Einstein went from 659 recorded bearers to 703. That is an increase of 44 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #34,390 to #34,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Einstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Einstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Einstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (643 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Einstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Einstein (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 Einstein mean?
A German surname derived from a word meaning "one stone" 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 Einstein (0.24 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 are called Einstein?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Einstein, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.