TIL: German etymology of "Stein" equals "stone."  Was J. Epstein German or... The surname Epstein is one of the oldest Ashkenazi Jewish family names. It is probably derived from the German town of Eppstein, in Hesse; the place-name was probably derived from Gaulish apa ("water", in the sense of a river) and German -stein ("stone", in the sense of a hill)... Interesting, thx.