Kirstein is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
August Kirstein (1856–1939), Austrian architect
Lincoln Kirstein (1907–1996), American writer, impresario, art connoisseur and cultural figure
Peter Kirstein (disambiguation)
Peter T. Kirstein, British computer scientist
Peter N. Kirstein, American historian
Petrus Kirstenius, (1577–1640) German physician and orientalist
Roland Kirstein (born 1965), German economist
Rosemary Kirstein, American writer