The surname Epstein is one of the oldest Ashkenazi Jewish family names.[1] It is probably derived from the German town of Eppstein, in Hesse;[2] the place-name was probably derived from Gaulish apa[3] ("water", in the sense of a river)[4] and German -stein ("stone", in the sense of a hill).
Some people with this name include:
Religion
- Abraham Epstein (born 1841), Russo-Austrian rabbinical scholar
- Aryeh Leib Epstein, Polish rabbi
- Baruch Epstein, Lithuanian rabbi and the son of Yechiel Michel Epstein
- Greg Epstein, Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University from 2005
- Isidore Epstein, rabbi and biblical scholar
- Mendel Epstein, American rabbi and kidnapper, also known as "The Prodfather"
- Moshe Mordechai Epstein, rabbi and author of the Levush Mordechai
- Yechiel Michel Epstein, Lithuanian rabbi and author of the Arukh HaShulkhan
- Zelik Epstein, Rosh Yeshiva of the Shaar HaTorah-Grodno Yeshiva, located in Kew Gardens, New York
Arts
- Alex Epstein, Israeli writer
- Barbara Epstein, literary editor
- Brian Epstein (1934–1967), businessman, manager of the Beatles
- Daniel Epstein (pianist)
- Daniel Mark Epstein, biographer and poet
- Deborah Epstein, French-American singer-songwriter more commonly known as SoShy
- Dena Epstein (1916–2013), American music librarian, writer, and musicologist
- Edward Jay Epstein, author and early critic of the Warren Commission
- Howie Epstein, bass guitarist
- Jacob Epstein, sculptor
- Jake Epstein, Canadian actor
- Jason Epstein, publisher who popularized the trade paperback
- Jean Epstein, film director
- Joseph Epstein, American editor and essayist
- Julius Epstein, Croatian pianist
- Julius J. Epstein, Oscar-winning screenwriter, brother of Philip G. Epstein
- Kathie Lee Epstein (born 1953), maiden name of Kathie Lee Gifford, American television host
- Lawrence J. Epstein (born 1946), American author
- Leslie Epstein, novelist
- Mel Epstein, film director and producer
- Michael J. Epstein (born 1976), American filmmaker and musician
- Mikhail Epstein, literary theorist and Emory University professor
- Philip G. Epstein, Oscar-winning screenwriter, brother to Julius J. Epstein
- Rob Epstein, American director
- Steven Epstein (music producer), U.S. classical music producer with Sony
- Temi Epstein, child actress
Science and medicine
- Alex Epstein, American energy theorist
- Charles Epstein (geneticist)
- Claire Epstein (1911–2000), Israeli archaeologist
- Edward Epstein (meteorologist), developer of statistical weather forecasting
- Fred Epstein, pediatric neurosurgeon
- Lenore Epstein (born 1942), birth name of Lenore Blum, computer scientist and mathematician
- Mark Epstein, psychotherapist
- Sir Michael A. Epstein, British pathologist, discoverer of the Epstein-Barr virus.
- Robert Epstein, psychologist
- Rose Frisch (Rose Epstein Frisch), biologist
- Samuel Epstein, doctor and professor of environmental medicine
- Samuel Epstein (geochemist), Wollaston Medal winner
Mathematics
- Bernard Epstein, American mathematician and physicist
- David B. A. Epstein, British mathematician
- Lenore A. Epstein, American statistician
- Paul Epstein, German mathematician
- Paul Sophus Epstein, American mathematician/physicist of Polish/Russian origin and California Institute of Technology professor.
- Richard Arnold Epstein, mathematician, game theorist
Sport
- Charlotte Epstein (1884–1938), nicknamed "Eppie", American Hall of Fame swimming coach, "Mother of Women's Swimming in America"
- Denis Epstein, German football player
- Hayden Epstein (born 1980), American NFL football player
- Kurt Epstein, Czechoslovakian Olympic water polo player
- Mike Epstein, nicknamed "SuperJew" (born 1943), American major league baseball player
- Theo Epstein (born 1973), American President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs
Military
- Giora Epstein, "ace of aces" Israeli fighter pilot.
- Joseph Epstein, communist French resistance leader
Other
- Alan H. Epstein, aeronautical engineer
- Anthony C. Epstein, American jurist
- David Epstein (gangster), former member of Epstein–Wolmark gang
- David G. Epstein, law professor
- Eliahu Epstein (1903–1990), birth name of Eliahu Eilat, Israeli diplomat and President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Howard Epstein, Canadian politician
- Hedy Epstein (1924-2016), Jewish anti-Zionist
- Israel Epstein, Polish-Chinese journalist
- Jacob Epstein (spy), alleged Soviet intelligence agent
- Jeffrey Epstein (1953–2019), American financier and convicted sex offender
- Kathleen Epstein, American-British sculptor
- Lee Epstein, American political scientist
- Leopold Vail Epstein (1910–1991), American attorney and father of Linda McCartney
- Melech Epstein (1889–1979), American journalist and historian
- Moses J. Epstein (c.1911–1960), New York assemblyman
- Richard Epstein, law professor
- Samuel Epstein (politician), American politician, lawyer, and physician
- Simon Epstein, Israeli economist and historian
- Steven Epstein (academic), sociologist
- William Epstein, Canadian international civil servant
Fictional characters
- Juan Epstein, fictional character on the TV series Welcome Back, Kotter
- Dov Epstein, fictional character on the TV series Rookie Blue
- Solomon Epstein, fictional character on the TV series The Expanse
Variant surnames
- Katja Ebstein (b. 1945), German singer
- Wilhelm Ebstein (1836–1912), German Jewish physician and nutritionist
- David Eppstein (b. 1963), computer scientist
- Nikolay Epshtein (1918–2005), Soviet ice hockey coach
- Shakne Epshtein, Soviet journalist
- Boris Epshteyn, political commentator
See also
- Eppstein, town in Hesse, Germany
- Lords of Eppstein, family of Germany nobility
- Le château d'Eppstein, story by Alexandre Dumas
- Ebstein's anomaly
- Epstein–Barr virus
- Palais Epstein in Vienna
- The Epstein School, a private Jewish-day school in Atlanta
- Epstein Hebrew Academy, a private Jewish day-school in St. Louis
References
- ^ Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). . The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
- ^ Muraskin, Bennett (November 13, 2012). "The Origins and Meanings of Ashkenazic Last Names". Jewish Currents. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- ^ Whitley Stokes; Adalbert Bezzenberger (1894), "aqâ", in August Fick (ed.), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der indogermanischen Sprachen: Wortschatz der Keltischen Spracheinheit, 2 (4th ed.), Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, p. 5
- ^ Ernst Förstemann (1863), Die deutschen Ortsnamen, pp. 30–31