Steph
Steph is often a short form of the feminine given name Stephanie and its other variants, or the masculine given name Stephen.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Steph
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Steph is often a short form of the feminine given name Stephanie and its other variants, or the masculine given name Stephen.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Steph
As a girl name
Steph first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1959, with 9 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1960: 11 births, good for #3,921 nationwide. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 64% of all recorded Stephs. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1971 (8 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 66 Stephs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Steph on the record books as a boy name in 2021, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 5 Stephs were born — ranking #12,141 that year. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2021 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 5 Stephs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2020s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Steph
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Steph. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Steph
Phonetically similar names — useful when Steph is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Stef
- Steff
- Stuff
- Stiff
- Stuf
- Stif
- Stough
- Staff
- Staph
- Staf
- Stav
- Stoff
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Steph
What does the name Steph mean?
What is the origin of the name Steph?
How popular is Steph in 2026?
When was Steph most popular?
Is Steph a unisex name?
What names go well with Steph?
What are nicknames or variants of Steph?
About the name Steph
Steph is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1959 and has accumulated 66 births in the dataset. Steph's peak popularity came in 1960 when it ranked #3,921. Use the chart and map above to compare Steph's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1960 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.