Bernstein History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

Etymology of Bernstein

What does the name Bernstein mean?

The name Bernstein has a literal meaning of "amber," if only the German word that is this surname's root is considered. In this case, the name Bernstein was formed from the Old German words 'aibbernen' and 'aibsten', which mean 'to burn' and 'stone.' Although amber is a fossilized pine resin, this name referred to the way that amber was mistakenly thought to have been created. Some people bearing this name, then, would have dealt with or traded amber. Another possibility is that one of the original bearers of this name may have been a brick maker as the two main components of this name mean burnt stone. This surname is also a kinnui, or secular surname, that is derived from Ber, an abbreviation of Berko or Berish. The bear on the family coat of arms eludes to this latter possible origin.

Bernstein Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bernstein, Bernshtein, Berenshtein, Bernstejn, Berensztejn, Bornstein, Beronstein, Borenshtein, Borenshtain, Borenstain, Borensztein, Burzin, Berenstein and many more.

Bernstein Ranking

the United States, the name Bernstein is the 2,098^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1

Bernstein migration to the United States +

Bernstein Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Bernstein, who arrived in Texas in 1844
Isaac Bernstein, who arrived in Texas in 1850 2
M Bernstein, aged 62, who landed in New York, NY in 1851 2
Z Bernstein, aged 60, who landed in New York, NY in 1851 2
Kusel Bernstein, who landed in America in 1851 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bernstein Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Max Bernstein, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1906 2
A H Bernstein, who landed in Mississippi in 1906 2

Bernstein migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bernstein Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Davis Bernstein, aged 22, a carpenter, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Bernstein (post 1700) +

Charles Bernstein (b. 1943), American composer of film and television scores
Charles Bernstein (b. 1950), American poet, essayist, editor, and literary scholar
Bernard Bernstein (1908-1990), American economist and public official
Bonnie Lynn Bernstein (b. 1970), American sports journalist and media executive
Andrew Bernstein, American philosopher and author
Andrew D. Bernstein, American sports photographer
Andrew Bernstein, American television director and producer born in New York
Barry "Armyan" Bernstein (b. 1947), American film and television producer, director and screenwriter
Arnold Bernstein (1888-1971), German-American shipowner and pioneer of transatlantic car transport
... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Bernstein family +

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

Michael Stuart Bernstein (1952-1988), American Lawyer (Us Dept. Of Justice) Officer Of Special Investigation from Bethesda, Maryland, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 3
Miss Essie Bernstein (b. 1892), Russian Jewish garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she died in the fire 4
Mr. Jacob Bernstein (b. 1873), Russian Jewish garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; he died in the fire 5
Mr. Morris Bernstein (b. 1892), Russian Jewish garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; he died in the fire 5
Mr.Abraham Bernstein, Russian Jewish worker who was at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; he survived the fire 5
... (Another 2 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire