The surname Epstein (Yiddish : עפּשטײן , romanized : Epshteyn ) 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[citation needed ] 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:
Arts
Abby Epstein , American documentary director and producer
Alex Epstein (writer) (born 1963), American Canadian writer and film producer
Alex Epstein (born 1971), Israeli writer
Alvin Epstein (1925–2018), American actor and director
Asaf Epstein (born 1978), Israeli film director, writer, and producer
Barbara Epstein (1928–2006), American literary editor
Benita Epstein , American cartoonist
Brett Epstein (born 1978), American musician, songwriter, and record producer
Brian Epstein (1934–1967), businessman, manager of the Beatles
Daniel Epstein (pianist) (born 1946), American pianist
Daniel Mark Epstein (born 1948), American biographer and poet
David Epstein (conductor) (1930–2002), American composer, conductor, and music scientist
Deborah Epstein (born 1984), French-American singer-songwriter more commonly known as SoShy
Dena Epstein (1916–2013), American music librarian, writer, and musicologist
Dorrit Epstein (1917–2014), Czech British graphic designer
Edward Jay Epstein (1935–2024), American author and early critic of the Warren Commission
Elisabeth Epstein (1879–1956), Russian painter
Emily Rose Epstein , American drummer
Freyda Epstein (1956–2003), American folk musician
Gustav von Epstein (1828–1879), commissioned the Palais Epstein.
Győző Epstein (1879–1945), Hungarian sculptor, graphic artist, and painter
Howie Epstein (1955–2003), American bass guitarist
Jacob Epstein (1880–1959), American-British sculptor
Jacob Epstein (art collector) (1864–1945), Lithuanian-American merchant, philanthropist, and art collector
Jacob Epstein (writer) , American television writer
Jake Epstein (born 1987), Canadian actor
Jason Epstein (1928–2022), American publisher who popularized the trade paperback
Jean Epstein (1897–1953), French filmmaker
Jennifer Cody Epstein , American novelist
Jerome Epstein (director) (1922–1991), American filmmaker
Joseph Epstein (born 1937), American editor and essayist
Josh Epstein , Canadian actor, producer and writer
Joshua Epstein (violinist) (born 1940), Israeli musician
Julius Epstein (1832–1926), Croatian pianist
Julius J. Epstein (1909–2000), American Oscar-winning screenwriter, brother of Philip G. Epstein
June Epstein (1918–2004), Australian author, radio broadcaster, musician, and disability advocate
Kalama Epstein (born 2000), American actor
Kathie Lee Epstein (born 1953), maiden name of Kathie Lee Gifford, American television host
Kathleen Epstein (1901–1979), American-British sculptor
Lawrence J. Epstein (born 1946), American author
Leslie Epstein (born 1938), American novelist
Marie Epstein (1899–1995), Polish-French actress and film preservationist
Marti Epstein (born 1959), American composer
Mel Epstein (1910–1994), American film director and producer
Michael J. Epstein (born 1976), American filmmaker and musician
Mikhail Epstein (born 1950), Russian-American literary theorist and Emory University professor
Mitch Epstein (born 1952), American photographer
Peter Epstein (born 1967), American jazz saxophonist
Philip G. Epstein (1909–1952), American Oscar-winning screenwriter, brother to Julius J. Epstein
Rob Epstein (born 1955), American director
Robin Epstein , American artist
Sadie Kuttner Epstein (1883–1973), American concert singer
Selma Epstein (1927–2014), American concert pianist
Steven Epstein (music producer) , U.S. classical music producer with Sony
Ted Epstein , American drummer
Temi Epstein (born 1975), American child actress
Zale "Zalezy" Epstein , Canadian songwriter and musician
Mathematics
Military
Religion
Abraham Epstein (born 1841), Russo-Austrian rabbinical scholar
Aryeh Leib Epstein (1708–1775), Polish rabbi
Baruch Epstein (1860–1941), Lithuanian rabbi and the son of Yechiel Michel Epstein
Ephraim Epstein (1876–1960), American Orthodox rabbi
Greg Epstein (born 1977), Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University from 2005
Isidore Epstein (1894–1962), English rabbi and rabbinical scholar
Jehiel Michel Epstein , 17th-century writer and ethicist
Klonimus Kalman Epstein (1753–1825), Polish rabbi, Kabbalist and a leader of the Chassidic movement
Marc Michael Epstein , American religious scholar
Mendel Epstein , American rabbi and kidnapper, also known as "The Prodfather"
Moshe Mordechai Epstein (1866–1933), rabbi and author of the Levush Mordechai
Moshe Yechiel Epstein (1889–1971), Hasidic rabbi and Israel Prize recipient
Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829–1908), Lithuanian rabbi and author of the Arukh HaShulkhan
Yitzchak Eizik Epstein (1770–1857), Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi and scholar
Zelik Epstein (1914–2009), Rosh Yeshiva of the Shaar HaTorah-Grodno Yeshiva, located in Kew Gardens, New York
Science and medicine
Alex Epstein (born 1980), American energy theorist
Alois Epstein (1849–1918), Czech pediatrician
Anthony Epstein (1921–2024), British pathologist and academic
Arnold Epstein , American health scholar
Berthold Epstein (1890–1962), Czech pediatrician and professor
Charles Epstein (geneticist) (1933–2011), American geneticist and Unabomber victim
Claire Epstein (1911–2000), Israeli archaeologist
Edward Epstein (meteorologist) (1931–2008), American developer of statistical weather forecasting
Fred Epstein (1937–2006), American pediatric neurosurgeon
Gerald Epstein (1935–2019), American psychiatrist
Isadore Epstein (1919–1995), American astronomer
Joshua M. Epstein , American epidemiologist
Lenore Epstein (born 1942), birth name of Lenore Blum , computer scientist and mathematician
Mark Epstein (born 1953), American psychotherapist
Martha C. Epstein (1927–2003), American geneticist
Sir Michael A. Epstein (1921–2024), British pathologist, discoverer of the Epstein-Barr virus.
Robert Epstein (born 1953), American psychologist
Robert M. Epstein (born 1928), American anesthesiologist
Rose Frisch (Rose Epstein Frisch, 1918–2015), American biologist
Russell Epstein , American psychologist
Samuel Epstein (1926–2018), American doctor and professor of environmental medicine
Samuel Epstein (geochemist) (1919–2001), Canadian-American geochemist
Slava Epstein , American marine biologist and microbial ecologist
Stephen Epstein (cardiologist) , American cardiologist and medical researcher
Sport
Andrew Epstein (born 1996), American soccer player
Charlotte Epstein (1884–1938), nicknamed "Eppie", American Hall of Fame swimming coach, "Mother of Women's Swimming in America"
Denis Epstein (born 1986), German football player
Dmitry Epstein (born 1993), Dutch pair skater
Eddie Epstein , baseball statistician
Esther Epstein (born 1954), American chess player
Hayden Epstein (born 1980), American NFL football player
Jan Epstein (1918–1988), Australian cricketer
Kurt Epstein (1904–1975), Czechoslovakian Olympic water polo player
Mike Epstein , (born 1943), American major league baseball player
Ray Epstein (born 1959), Australian Paralympic weightlifter and powerlifting coach
Theo Epstein (born 1973), American President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs
Politics and law
Anthony C. Epstein (born 1952), American jurist
Benjamin Epstein (1912–1983), Anti-Defamation League director
Daniel Z. Epstein (born 1983), American lawyer
David G. Epstein , American law professor
Eliahu Epstein (1903–1990), birth name of Eliahu Eilat, Israeli diplomat and President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Eric Epstein , American political activist
Gloria Epstein , Canadian judge
Harvey Epstein (born 1967), American politician
Howard Epstein (born 1949), Canadian politician
Jerome Epstein (politician) (born 1937), American politician and criminal
Lee Epstein (born 1958), American political scientist
Leon Epstein (1919–2006), American political scientist
Leopold Vail Epstein (1910–1991), American attorney and father of Linda McCartney
Mitzi Epstein , American politician
Moses J. Epstein (c. 1911–1960), American politician
Philip Michael Epstein (born 1942), Canadian family law lawyer
Richard Epstein (born 1943), American law professor
Samuel Epstein (politician) (1890–1951), American politician, lawyer, and physician
William Epstein (1912–2001), Canadian international civil servant
Other
Alek Epstein (born 1975), Russian-Israeli sociologist
Alan Epstein (1949–2016), American travel writer
Alan H. Epstein (born 1949), American aeronautical engineer
Betty Halff-Epstein (1905–1991), Swiss entrepreneur and second-wave feminist
Bill Epstein (1924–1999), British social anthropologist
Cynthia Fuchs Epstein , American sociologist
David Epstein (Australia) (born 1963), Australian public affairs specialist
David Epstein (gangster) , former member of Epstein–Wolmark gang, son of Mendel Epstein
David Epstein (journalist) , American journalist
Eleni Epstein (1925–1991), American fashion journalist
Fritz T. Epstein (1898–1979), American historian
Gabriel Epstein (1918–2017), British architect and urban planner
Gene Epstein (born 1944), American economist
Hadassah Spira Epstein (1909–1992), American dancer
Hedy Epstein (1924–2016), Jewish anti-Zionist
Helen Epstein (born 1947), American author and memoirist
Helen Epstein (journalist) (born 1961), American journalist and professor
Israel Epstein (1915–2005), Polish-Chinese journalist
Jacob Epstein (banker) (1771–1843), Polish banker and philanthropist
Jacob Epstein (spy) (1903–1998), American alleged Soviet intelligence agent
Jeffrey Epstein (1953–2019), American financier and sex offender
Jonathan Epstein , Australian economist
Julius Epstein (writer) (1901–1975), American journalist and scholar
Larry G. Epstein , Canadian economist
Lewis Carroll Epstein , American physics author
Louise Epstein (born 1965), Swedish journalist and author
Mark Epstein (property developer) (born 1954), American property developer and brother of Jeffrey Epstein
Melech Epstein (1889–1979), American journalist and historian
Nadine Epstein , American journalist and author
Nicky Epstein , American knitting designer and author
Randi Hutter Epstein (born 1962), American medical writer, author and journalist
Ron Epstein (born 1942), American Buddhist scholar and translator
Ruth Wilson Epstein (1906–1996), American nurse and wife of Jacob Epstein (spy)
Simon Epstein (born 1947), Israeli economist and historian
Sorella Epstein (1931–1941), Latvian Holocaust victim
Stephan R. Epstein (1960–2007), British economic historian
Steven Epstein (academic) , American sociologist
T. Scarlett Epstein (1922–2014), British-Austrian social anthropologist and economist
Yishaq Epstein (1862–1943), Hebrew linguist and educator
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 , inventor of the Epstein-Fusion Drive in the novel and TV series The Expanse
Variant surnames
Katja Ebstein (born 1945), German singer
Richard Ebstein (born 1943), American behavioral geneticist
Wilhelm Ebstein (1836–1912), German physician and nutritionist
David Eppstein (born 1963), American computer scientist
Margaret J. Eppstein , American complex systems theorist
Nikolay Epshtein (1918–2005), Soviet ice hockey coach
Paul Eppstein (1902–1944), German sociologist and Holocaust victim
Seraphine Eppstein (1861–1942), American clubwoman and hospital administrato
Shakne Epshtein (1883–1945), Soviet journalist
Alex Epshteyn , computer programmer
Boris Epshteyn (born 1982), political commentator
See also
References
^ Singer, Isidore ; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Epstein" . 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 , vol. 2 (4th ed.), Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, p. 5
^ Ernst Förstemann (1863), Die deutschen Ortsnamen , pp. 30–31