Feldstein History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Israel

Etymology of Feldstein

The family name of a Jew was typically left to the individual person up until the end of the 18th century. Majority, especially in Germany and eastern Europe, still followed the custom having their father's name included in their name. Whereas, Jews in Spain, Portugal, and Italy had already adopted the practice of using fixed family names. 1

One of the most common traditions for adopting surnames in Medieval Europe was for a person to assume a name that clearly illustrated his occupation. The name Feldman can be considered an occupational name as its primary root 'feld' means 'field' or 'pasture'.

There are a number of common suffixes associated with this name that suggest it was a name used by agriculturists of various sorts: Feldman (field man), Feldbaum (field tree), feldberger, (field hill), Feldstern (field stone). Some Jews, who adopted this surname, however, were not directly associated with the occupation, and can be considered ornamental names. Ornamental names were often assumed by the minority Jewish population who wished to fit into the dominant culture of the area.

The names Felman or Fellerman have somewhat different origins: they are most probably derived from the root 'fell,' which holds a meaning of 'hide' or 'skin' in German and in Yiddish.

Feldstein Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Feld, Felder, Feldman, Feldmann, Feldbau, Feldbaum, Feldberger, Feldblum, Feldbrin, Feldfisher, Feldharker, Feldheim, Feldhorn, feldhuhn, Feldklein, Fledmark, Feldmeser, Feldmesser, Feldmus, Feldstein and many more.