Explore the Family Name Silverstein

The meaning of Silverstein

Americanized form of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Silberstein. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Hyman, Meyer, Emanuel, Gershon, Myer, Yetta, Ari, Chayim, Esti, Hava.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Silverstein in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Silverstein has maintained a substantial presence in the United States over the years. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5211th most popular surname, with 6,159 individuals bearing it. By 2010, the rank slightly dropped to 5300th place, reflecting a minor decrease of 1.71% in its popularity. However, the actual count of people with the surname Silverstein increased by 6.77% from 2000 to 2010, rising from 6,159 to 6,576. Despite the increase in the number of bearers, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased slightly by 2.19%, reflecting a broader population growth.

20002010Change
Rank#5,211#5,300-1.71%
Count6,1596,5766.77%
Proportion per 100k2.282.23-2.19%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Silverstein

In terms of ethnic identity, the distribution of the Silverstein surname also saw changes between 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The vast majority of those with the Silverstein surname identified as White, although this percentage fell slightly from 95.86% in 2000 to 94.59% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of Silversteins identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase of 76.43%, rising from 1.57% to 2.77%. There were small increases in the proportions identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, while there was a slight decrease in the percentage of Silversteins identifying as two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White95.86%94.59%-1.32%
Hispanic1.57%2.77%76.43%
Two or More Races1.23%1.22%-0.81%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.91%0.99%8.79%
Black0.32%0.36%12.5%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.1%0.08%-20%

Silverstein ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Silverstein is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 60.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (16.6%) and French & German (6.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, and Scandinavian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Ashkenazi Jewish60.1%
British & Irish16.6%
French & German6.9%
Other16.4%
Silverstein

Possible origins of the surname Silverstein

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Silverstein have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Merseyside, United Kingdom33.00%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom33.00%
Greater London, United Kingdom33.00%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom33.00%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom33.00%

What Silverstein haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Silverstein is E-L29, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-L29 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include R-P312 and J-M67, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Freedman, Rosenfeld, Jaffe, Lerner, Spector, Goldberg, Friedman, Silverman, Pollack, Grossman.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Silverstein surname are: K1a1b1a, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

silversteinPaternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Silverstein have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Silverstein

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Silverstein" Surname 45.7%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Silverstein

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Silverstein" Surname 19.5%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Silverstein

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Silverstein" Surname 9.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Silverstein

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Silverstein" Surname 13.8%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Silverstein?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Silverstein are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Ashkenazi Jewish 57.0%

23andMe Users 57.2%