Steinmetz
An occupational German surname meaning “stonemason.”
The #4,426 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,439 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Steinmetz comes from German Stein- meaning “stone” and a second element meaning “mason” or “hewer.” The historical forms cited by older surname scholars point to Middle High German steinmetze and Old High German steinmeszd, both used for a stonemason or stonecutter. In plain terms, the name originally identified someone who worked with stone.
History
The name is a straightforward occupational surname and appears widely in German-speaking areas. Older surname works also note related forms such as Steinhouwer/Steinbieker and compare it with other craft names built from “stein” plus a trade term. In modern usage, Steinmetz remains most common in German heritage communities and in countries with German immigration, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
German surname dictionaries have long treated Steinmetz as a classic craft name, alongside occupations like Schneider and Schmid.
From the historical record
“O.L.Ger. hard, hard, strong] STEINMETZ (Ger.) Stonemason [M.H.Ger. steinmetze, O.H.Ger. steinmeszd] STERN (Ger.) Star [M.H.Ger. sterne, O.H.Ger. sterno\ STRAUSS (Ger.) Crest, Tuft (nickname) [M.H.Ger. O.H.Ger. str&z, also denoting ' ostrich '] STURM (Ger.) Storm [O.HIier. sturm'\”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)