Stein is a surname with different origins. It is a common German name. The name derived from German^[1] ([ʃtaɪn]) means "stone" or "rock". Stein is also a Scottish name (/stiːn/; also spelled Steen), which originated as a local equivalent or variant of Steven.^[2]

Notable people with the surname include:

• Aaron Marc Stein (1906–1985), nom-de-plume of American novelist George Bagby
• Abby Stein (born 1991), transgender activist, writer, and public speaker
• Allan Stein, nephew of Gertrude Stein and the title of a novel by Matthew Stadler
• Alon Stein (born 1991), Israeli basketball player
• Andrew Stein (born 1945), American politician
• Andy Stein, American saxophone and violin player
• Arthur Stein (political scientist) (born 1950), American professor of political science
• Aurel Stein (1862–1943), Hungarian-British archaeologist

• Ben Stein (born 1944), American actor, writer, and attorney
• Blake Stein (born 1973), American baseball pitcher
• Boris Shtein (or Stein) (1892–1961), Soviet diplomat
• Brian Stein (born 1957), English association football player
• Burton Stein (1926–1996), American historian

• Charles Stein (disambiguation), several people
• Charlotte von Stein (1742–1827), lady-in-waiting at the court in Weimar
• Clarence Stein (1882–1975), American urban planner, architect, and writer
• Colin Stein (born 1947), Scottish footballer
• Chris Stein (born 1950), American guitarist

• Dana Stein (born 1958), American politician
• Daniel Stein (disambiguation), several people
• David Stein (disambiguation), several people
• Dieter Stein (born 1967), German journalist

• Edith Stein (1891–1942), German philosopher, Catholic saint
• Eduardo Stein (born 1945), Guatemalan diplomat and politician
• Elias M. Stein (1931–2018), American mathematician
• Ernst Stein (1891–1945), Austrian Byzantinist
• Erwin Stein (1885–1958), Austrian musician and writer
• Evaleen Stein (1863-1923), American author, limner

• Freimut Stein (1924–1986), German figure skater
• Fritz Stein (1879–1961), German theologian, conductor, musicologist and church musician

• Garth Stein (born 1964), American author, film producer, playwright, and teacher
• Georg Stein (1909–1980s), German chess master
• Gertrude Stein (1874–1947), American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector
• Gladys Marie Stein (1900-1989) American author and composer
• Gordon Stein (1941–1996), American author, physiologist, and activist
• Greg Stein (born 1967), American programmer, speaker, and open-source software advocate

• Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein (1757–1831), Prussian statesman
• Herb Stein (1898–1980), American football player
• Herbert Stein (1916–1999), American economist
• Herman Stein (1915–2007), American composer
• Horst Stein (1928–2008), German conductor

• Jason Stein, American college baseball coach
• James Stein (c.1804–1877), Australian pastoralist
• Jake Stein (born 1994), Australian rules footballer
• Jimmy Stein (1907–?), Scottish association footballer
• Jill Stein (born 1950), American politician and presidential candidate
• Josh Stein (born 1966), American politician
• Jock Stein (1922–1985), Scottish football manager
• Johann Andreas Stein (1728–1792), German maker of keyboard instruments
• John Stein (disambiguation)
• Joseph Allen Stein (1912–2001), American architect
• Jules C. Stein (1896–1981), American musician, physician, and business leader

• Karl Stein (mathematician) (1913–2000), German mathematician

• Lena Stein-Schneider (1874–1958) German composer
• Leo Stein (1872–1947), American art critic and brother of Gertrude Stein
• Leon Stein (1910–2002), American composer and music analyst
• Leonid Stein (1934–1973), Soviet chess grandmaster

• Mark Stein, English footballer
• Mary Kay Stein, American mathematics educator
• Mathias Stein (born 1970), German politician

• Peter Stein (disambiguation)
• Philip Stein (1919–2009), American painter

• Rick Stein (born 1947), English chef, restaurateur and television presenter
• Robert Stein (disambiguation), several people

• Samuel Friedrich Stein (1818–1885), Czech entomologist
• Seth Stein (born 1953), American geophysicist
• Stanley J. Stein (1920–2019), American historian
• Steven "Steinski" Stein, American hip-hop producer

• Vera Stein (born 1958), German author

• William A. Stein (born 1974), American mathematician
• William Howard Stein (1911–1980), American biochemist

• Chase Stein, a superhero in the Marvel Comics series Runaways
• Franken Stein, a mad scientist in the manga and anime series Soul Eater
• Franny K. Stein, the titular character of an ongoing children's series by Jim Benton
• Martin Stein, one half of the original incarnation of the DC comics superhero Firestorm
• Philip "Cockeye" Stein, fictional character of the 1952 novel The Hoods and the 1984 movie Once Upon a Time in America

• Stine, a surname and given name