UK surname
A surname derived from the German 'gold' and 'stein' meaning 'gold stone' or 'gold dealer'.
In the 1881 census there were 26 people recorded with the Goldstien surname, ranking it #29,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5, ranked #38,264, down from #29,911 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Old Artillery Ground, St George in the East and Christ Church Spitalfields. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goldstien is 128 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 80.8%.
1881 census count
26
Ranked #29,911
Modern count
5
2016, ranked #38,264
Peak year
1911
128 bearers
Map years
1
1911 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Goldstien surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Goldstien surname density by area, 1911 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 | historical | 2 | #34,135 |
| 1881 | historical | 26 | #29,911 |
| 1891 | historical | 61 | #29,103 |
| 1901 | historical | 89 | #24,154 |
| 1911 | historical | 128 | #19,664 |
| 1997 | modern | 7 | #37,533 |
| 1998 | modern | 5 | #37,861 |
| 1999 | modern | 6 | #37,696 |
| 2000 | modern | 6 | #37,624 |
| 2001 | modern | 6 | #37,456 |
| 2002 | modern | 7 | #37,379 |
| 2003 | modern | 6 | #37,586 |
| 2004 | modern | 5 | #37,830 |
| 2005 | modern | 6 | #37,724 |
| 2006 | modern | 3 | #38,334 |
| 2007 | modern | 2 | #38,617 |
| 2008 | modern | 2 | #38,673 |
| 2009 | modern | 2 | #38,725 |
| 2010 | modern | 5 | #38,186 |
| 2011 | modern | 7 | #37,865 |
| 2012 | modern | 8 | #37,740 |
| 2013 | modern | 8 | #37,767 |
| 2014 | modern | 5 | #38,228 |
| 2015 | modern | 5 | #38,221 |
| 2016 | modern | 5 | #38,264 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Old Artillery Ground, St George in the East, Christ Church Spitalfields, St Mary Whitechapel and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Artillery Ground | London (East Districts) |
| 2 | St George in the East | London (East Districts) |
| 3 | Christ Church Spitalfields | London (East Districts) |
| 4 | St Mary Whitechapel | London (East Districts) |
| 5 | London parishes | London 3 |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Goldstien surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Goldstien, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Goldstien surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Goldstien household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Goldstien is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Goldstien is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Goldstien, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Goldstien is of Ashkenazic Jewish origin, with roots tracing back to Central and Eastern Europe. It likely emerged in the 17th or 18th century as a derivative of the German word "Gold," meaning gold, and "Stein," meaning stone. This combination suggests a connection to goldsmiths or jewelers, indicating a possible occupation or trade within the family line.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Goldstein, Goldstine, and Goltstein, reflecting regional linguistic variations and scribal inconsistencies prevalent in historical records. Some of the earliest documented mentions of the name can be found in German and Polish archives from the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
One notable figure bearing this surname was Moritz Goldstein (1880-1977), a German-born American mathematician and engineer. He made significant contributions to the fields of calculus of variations and fluid mechanics. Another prominent individual was Joseph Goldstein (1939-2022), an American cell biologist and Nobel Laureate, recognized for his groundbreaking work on cell membrane dynamics and receptor-mediated endocytosis.
In the realm of literature, Lev Goldstein (1899-1973) was a Russian-born American novelist and short story writer, known for his works exploring themes of Jewish identity and immigration. His novel "The Waking Giant" received critical acclaim for its depiction of the Jewish experience in America during the early 20th century.
The name Goldstien also has a connection to the world of music, with figures like Max Goldstein (1870-1941), a renowned German-American composer and conductor who contributed substantially to the development of American operetta and musical theater in the early 20th century.
Furthermore, the surname Goldstien has been associated with notable individuals in the field of law and politics. One such figure was Herman Goldstein (1912-1998), an American legal scholar and criminologist who pioneered the concept of problem-oriented policing, which aimed to address the underlying causes of crime rather than solely focusing on responding to individual incidents.
These examples illustrate the diverse contributions and accomplishments of individuals bearing the surname Goldstien throughout history, spanning various fields and geographical regions, while maintaining a connection to its Central and Eastern European origins.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goldstien surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 25 Goldstiens recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.86x.
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spitalfields London in Middlesex leads with 14 Goldstiens recorded in 1881 and an index of 732.98x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Spitalfields London | 14 | 732.98x |
| Whitechapel London | 10 | 400.00x |
| Leeds | 1 | 7.05x |
| Shoreditch London | 1 | 9.10x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Goldstien surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Goldstien surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Goldstien households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 9 |
| Tailor | 5 |
| Tailoress | 2 |
| Boot Maker | 1 |
| Cabinet Maker | 1 |
| Master Tailor | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 26 people were recorded with the Goldstien surname. That placed it at #29,911 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 5 in 2016. That gives Goldstien a modern rank of #38,264.
A surname derived from the German 'gold' and 'stein' meaning 'gold stone' or 'gold dealer'.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Goldstien bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.