Finkelstein History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Israel

The name Finkelstein 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. As a Jewish surname, the name Finkelstein derives from a variety of sources. It is thought to have been an occupational name, deriving from the German word finch, which referred to the bird, and would have been given to someone who raised or sold finches. Another possible origin is from the female given name Finkle, which was a popular name in medieval Germany. It could also be an ornamental surname deriving from the Old German word finkelstein, which means diamond. Lastly, the name could be derived from the Yiddish word funk, which meant spark. The word funkenstein translates as sparkle stone, or diamond.

Finkelstein Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: finkleman and others.

Finkelstein Ranking

In the United States, the name Finkelstein is the 8,654^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Finkelstein migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Finkelstein Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

M Finkelstein, who landed in Texas in 1850 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Finkelstein (post 1700) +

Arthur Jay Finkelstein (1945-2017), American political consultant
David Ritz Finkelstein (1929-2016), American emeritus professor of physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Jerry Finkelstein, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 17th District, 1942; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1952 (alternate), 1964 3
Jacob Finkelstein, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indiana, 1912 3
Israel Finkelstein, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 6th District, 1934 3
Ed Finkelstein, American politician, Representative from Arizona 5th District, 1996 3
Daniel Finkelstein, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 26th District, 1962 3
Bernard Finkelstein, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives Fifth Suffolk District, 1923-24; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1932 3
A. R. Finkelstein, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 14th District, 1920 3

Citations +

"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html