Stern is a surname which can be of either German/Yiddish or English language origin, though the former case predominates. The English version of the surname was used as a nickname for someone who was strict, austere, harsh, or stern in character. The German/Yiddish word Stern means "star". People Adam Stern (born 1980), Canadian Major League Baseball player Adam Stern (conductor) (born 1955), American conductor Adolf Stern (1835–1907), German literary historian and poet Adolf Stern (chess player) (1849–1907), German chess player Adolphe Stern (1848–1931), Romanian lawyer and politician Alan Stern (born 1957), American engineer and planetary scientist Albert Stern (violinist), American violinist Albert Gerald Stern (1878–1966), banker and member of Landships committee Anatol Stern (1899–1968), Polish writer Andy Stern (born 1950) American president of the Service Employees International Union Avraham Stern (1907–1942), founder and leader of the "Stern Gang" (Lehi) Avraham Stern (politician) (1935–1997), Israeli politician Bill Stern (1907–1971), American sports announcer in the Radio Hall of Fame Casey Stern (born 1978), American baseball journalist Clara Stern (1877–1945), German-American psychologist Curt Stern (1902–1981), German-born American Drosophila and human geneticist Daniel Stern (actor) (born 1957), American television and film actor Daniel Stern (psychologist) (1934–2012), American psychoanalytic theorist, specialising in infant development David Stern (disambiguation) Edna Stern (born 1977), Belgian-Israeli pianist Edouard Stern (1954–2005), French banker Elazar Stern (born 1956), Israeli general Elena Stern (born 1994), Swiss curler Eric Stern (musician) (born 1971), musician from Portland, Oregon Erich C. Stern (1879–1969), American lawyer and politician Ephraim Stern (1934–2018), Israeli archaeologist Frances Stern (1873–1947), American nutritionist Frederick Claude Stern (1884–1967), English botanist and horticulturalist Fritz Stern (1926–2016), German-born American historian of German history, Jewish history and historiography Georges Stern (1882–1928), French jockey Gerald Stern (born 1925), American poet Gladys Bronwyn Stern (1890–1973), English writer Grace Mary Stern (1925–1998), American politician Hans Stern (1922–2007), German-born Brazilian jeweler Harold P. Stern (1922–1977), American art historian Hellmut Stern (1928–2020), German violinist Henry Stern (disambiguation) Herman Stern (1887–1980), American businessman Hermann Stern (1878–1952), Austrian lawyer and politician Hermann de Stern (1815–1887), German-born British banker. Howard Stern (born 1954), American radio and TV personality Howard K. Stern (born 1968), American attorney and unofficial husband of Anna Nicole Smith Irving Stern (1928-2023), American politician Isaac Stern (1920–2001), Ukrainian-born American violinist Itzhak Stern (1901–1969), accountant of Oskar Schindler Ivo Stern (1889–1961), Croatian lawyer, writer, journalist, director and founder of the "Zagreb Radiostation" (now Croatian Radiotelevision) Jacques Stern (born 1949), French computer