boy's name
Esteban
es-TAY-bahn
- Origin Spanish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 70,393
the United States
#461
2025 births
Esteban is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "crown," the Spanish form of Stephen, whose bearer was the first Christian martyr. It ranks 182nd in France and 461st in the United States, and it is stable.
- Esteban is a name of Spanish origin.
- Peaked in 2005, when 1,024 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,926 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1891.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Esteban over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 |
| 1900s | 21 |
| 1910s | 137 |
| 1920s | 395 |
| 1930s | 347 |
| 1940s | 440 |
| 1950s | 608 |
| 1960s | 1,035 |
| 1970s | 2,301 |
| 1980s | 3,592 |
| 1990s | 6,487 |
| 2000s | 8,659 |
| 2010s | 7,471 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,125 |
What Esteban means
Esteban means crown, or garland, from the Greek stephanos. The Greek word means a wreath given for victory rather than a royal crown, so the sense is an honor won rather than a rank inherited.
Where Esteban comes from
Esteban is the Spanish form of Stephen, from the Greek Stephanos, a crown or wreath. Stephen in Acts is one of the seven deacons appointed to distribute food, and he is stoned to death after a speech to the Sanhedrin — the first Christian martyr, with Saul of Tarsus watching and holding the coats. The wreath meaning is not incidental to his cult: the crown of martyrdom is a standing image in Christian art and the name supplied it. Esteban's French standing follows Spanish and Latin American migration rather than any French tradition; the French form is Étienne, which is the same name worn down considerably further. Esteban is also a Spanish surname, and Estêvão, Stefano and István are the Portuguese, Italian and Hungarian forms.
Esteban in use
Esteban ranks 182nd in France with about 345 births in 2025 and 461st in the United States with 673 births, its largest market, where Hispanic use carries the volume. It is stable in our data with a peak in 2005, and our records carry it from 1891. It is essentially absent from the British tables at 6,563rd.
How popular is Esteban?
In 2025, Esteban was given to 673 babies in the United States, ranking #461 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Esteban is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Esteban is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Estéban | Estéban is Esteban written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #1,100. | 1,885 |
| Estebàn | Estebàn is a rare spelling of Esteban, written with a grave accent and recorded about 135 times, mostly in France. | 135 |
| Estébàn | Estébàn is a rare spelling of Esteban, written with an acute accent and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
| Estèban | Estèban is a rare spelling of Esteban, written with a grave accent and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
| Éstéban | Éstéban is a rare spelling of Esteban, written with an acute accent and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Esteban
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Esteban also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Esteban over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Esteban
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Esteban in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Esteban
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Esteban — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Esteban
What does the name Esteban mean?
Esteban means "crown," from the Greek stephanos — a victory wreath rather than a royal crown.
Who was Saint Stephen?
The first Christian martyr, stoned after a speech to the Sanhedrin, with Saul of Tarsus holding the coats.
Is Esteban the same as Étienne?
Yes — both are forms of Stephen. Étienne is the French version, worn down further from the Greek.
How popular is Esteban?
182nd in France and 461st in the United States.
Is Esteban a girl's or a boy's name?
Esteban is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Esteban?
Esteban has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Esteban?
Esteban is usually shortened to Steve.
Is Esteban a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Esteban currently ranks #182 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.