Stephen

Stephen - A very unique male name

Stephen appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #99. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Stephen and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Stephen? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Stephen. The baby boy name Stephen was given to 797 baby boys in 2025, ranking #386 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,840 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Stephen peaked in popularity 77 years ago in 1949 on position 19.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Stephen, 1-5?

Stephen is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Stephen is currently topping the baby name charts in Pennsylvania at position #200 - and is the least popular in Minnesota at position #705.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Stephen is where you live.

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Stephen origin and meaning

Greek, via the New Testament

'Crown, wreath' — from stephanos

Stephen is the name of the first Christian martyr, stoned in the Acts of the Apostles, from Greek stephanos, 'crown.' This -ph- spelling was one of America's biggest names at its 1952 peak and has fallen for decades, though it is still given to hundreds of boys a year.

Attested etymology

Stephen is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Stephen, pop culture references for the name Stephen and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Stephen

We've found the following names that sound similar to Stephen, sorted by popularity.

Steven / Stephan / Stefan / Stephon / Stefano / Stevan / Stephanie / Stefon / Stevens / Steffan /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Stephen

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Stephen a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Stephen?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

STEE-ven · /ˈstiːvən/

Around the world

• Stefan (German) — The German form
• Étienne (French) — The French form
• Esteban (Spanish) — The Spanish form
• Stefano (Italian) — The Italian form

Spellings and nicknames

• Steven — The other standard spelling
• Stefan — Continental spelling

Nicknames: SteveStevieSteph

Famous bearers

• Stephen King — Novelist, author of The Shining and It (b. 1947) Contemporary
• Stephen Hawking — Theoretical physicist and author of A Brief History of Time (1942–2018) Contemporary
• Saint Stephen — The first Christian martyr, in the Acts of the Apostles (Biblical) Historical

Style

BiblicalClassic

Why parents choose it

Parents choosing it now get a substantial classic with two towering modern namesakes, at a fraction of its former popularity.

Worth knowing

• Splits evenly with Steven, so the spelling is always in question.
• Its mid-century peak means many hear it as a father's or grandfather's name.