Ehrenstein History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Germany
• Israel

Etymology of Ehrenstein

The name Ehrenstein is a proud symbol of ancient Jewish culture. Before the late Middle Ages, people were known only by a single name. However, as the population increased and travelers set out on their journeys, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves. Jewish hereditary surnames were adopted from a variety of different sources. One of the most common types of Jewish names is the ornamental name. The name Ehrenstein is a Jewish Ashkenazic ornamental name. Numerous Jewish surnames are ornamental surnames, which are names that have an ornamental value and are not necessarily related to the localities, occupations, nicknames or given names of the first person who used the name. However, ornamental names were often derived from elements that described locations or features of geography, animals and birds, occupations or personal names. In this case, the surname Ehrenstein comes from the Yiddish word erlekh, which means virtuous and honest.

Although some of the variants of this surname, with the first component "Ehren," sound similar to the surname Aaron, they do not appear to be related. It has also been suggested that some people named Aaron changed their name to a variation of Ehrlich, as it was close in sound to Aaron, but German enough to pass the naming officials. However, the surname Ehrlich most probably comes from the Yiddish word "erlekh," which means 'virtuous and honest.'

Ehrenstein Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ehrlich, Erlich, Ehrlichman, Erlichman, Ehrlichmann, Erlichmann, Ehrlichson, Erlichson, Ehrman, Ehrenfreund, Ehrenpreis, Ehrenhaft, Ehrenson, Ehrenberg, Ehrenburg, Ehrenfrucht, Ehrenstein, Ehrenberg, Ehrenhaus, Ehrenfeld, Ehrenfest, Ehrenfried, Ehrenkrantz, Ehrenreich, Ehrensteil, Ehrenthal, Ehrenzweig, Ehrenstamm, Ehrenfeund, Ehrenpreis, Ehrenfaft, Ehrenreich and many more.