Stephen
Stephen or Steven is an English male first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen, an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the first martyr of the Christian Church.
- English
- Biblical
Meaning & Origin of Stephen
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Stephen or Steven is an English male first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen, an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the first martyr of the Christian Church.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Biblical
The Story of Stephen
American parents first put Stephen on the record books as a baby boy name in 1880, with 176 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1952, when 23,054 Stephens were born — ranking #21 that year. About 24% of every Stephen on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Stephen ranks #388 for baby boys with 828 births, falling sharply (-23%). All told, over 866K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Stephen
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Stephen. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Stephen
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- List of people with given name Stephen
- Stephen (surname) , including a list of people with the surname
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Stephen
Phonetically similar names — useful when Stephen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Stephen
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About the name Stephen
Stephen is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 866K births in the dataset. Stephen's peak popularity came in 1952 when it ranked #19. Use the chart and map above to compare Stephen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1952 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.