Finkelstein (Hebrew: פֿינק(ע)לשׁטײַן or פינקלשׁט(י)ין, Russian: Финкельштейн) is a German and Yiddish surname originating from Old High German funko (spark) and stein (stone). Funkelstein meant pyrite (Adler German-English Dictionary, 1864). The Yiddish version of pyrite, finkelstein, could have denoted bareketh, one of the 12 tribe stones of High Priest's breastplate (Exodus 28:17).
Notable people with the surname include:
Anthony Finkelstein (born 1959), British software engineer
Arthur Fields (Abe Finkelstein), American singer and songwriter
Arthur J. Finkelstein, US Republican political activist
Avram Finkelstein, gay rights activist
Clive Finkelstein, Information Engineering pioneer
David Finkelstein (1929-2016), professor of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology
David Finkelstein, professor of Philosophy at University of Chicago
Daniel Finkelstein, British journalist
Eric Finkelstein, American health economist
Israel Finkelstein (born 1949), Israeli archaeologist
Jacob Finkelstein (Jackie Fields), American world champion welterweight & Olympic champion featherweight Hall of Fame boxer
Louis Finkelstein (1895-1991), Talmud scholar
Louis Finkelstein (artist) (1923-2000), painter and Queens College (CUNY) professor
Max Finkelstein (died 1940), New York City policeman.
Meir Finkelstein, cantor and composer of contemporary Jewish liturgical music
Mel Finkelstein, American photojournalist
Menachem Finkelstein, Israeli district judge, Israel's Military Advocate General from 2000 to 2004.
Norman Finkelstein, American political scientist and writer.
Norman Finkelstein (poet), poet and writer
Peter Max (Peter Finkelstein)
Salo Finkelstein
William Zorach (born Finkelstein)