boy's name
Stephen
STEE-ven
- Origin Greek
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 932,851
the United States
#383
2025 births
Stephen is a boy's name from the Greek for crown or garland, borne by the first Christian martyr. It is the older spelling, but the phonetic Steven has overtaken it — 1,361,643 recorded births against Stephen's 925,335.
- Stephen is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 1952, when 23,082 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,999 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Stephen over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,684 |
| 1890s | 1,733 |
| 1900s | 2,247 |
| 1910s | 13,553 |
| 1920s | 15,630 |
| 1930s | 18,352 |
| 1940s | 107,050 |
| 1950s | 207,627 |
| 1960s | 152,717 |
| 1970s | 108,456 |
| 1980s | 114,369 |
| 1990s | 75,380 |
| 2000s | 28,951 |
| 2010s | 14,422 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,498 |
What Stephen means
Stephen means crown or garland. The Greek word is the victor's wreath given at games and to the honored dead, not a royal crown, so the sense is an honor earned rather than inherited.
Where Stephen comes from
Stephen is the English form of the Greek Stephanos, a wreath or garland. Saint Stephen appears in Acts as the first Christian martyr, stoned outside Jerusalem while Saul of Tarsus looked on — the man who would become Paul. The name spread across Christendom on that account and reached England before the Conquest, though it became common only after. English kept the Greek ph in spelling while pronouncing it v, a mismatch that eventually produced the rival Steven spelling. Good King Wenceslas looks out on the Feast of Stephen, 26 December, which is Boxing Day.
Stephen in use
Stephen peaked in the United States in 1952, when 23,082 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in all seven markets — 235th in Ireland, 312th in Northern Ireland, 383rd in the United States on 829 births, 544th in Scotland, 611th in Canada, 717th in England and Wales and 2654th in France — across 932,851 lifetime births. The v-spelling Steven holds 1,361,643, so the older form now carries roughly two-fifths of the pair, though Stephen ranks higher in Ireland and Northern Ireland than Steven does.
How popular is Stephen?
In 2025, Stephen was given to 829 babies in the United States, ranking #383 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Stephen 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 Stephen is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Stéphen | Stéphen is a rare spelling of Stephen, written with an acute accent and recorded about 240 times, mostly in France. | 240 |
Names that peaked alongside Stephen
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Stephen also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Stephen over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Stephen
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.
Stephen 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 Stephen
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Stephen — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Stephen
What does the name Stephen mean?
Crown or garland — the Greek stephanos, the wreath given to a victor.
Is Stephen or Steven more common?
Steven, with 1,361,643 recorded births against Stephen's 925,335 — though Stephen ranks higher in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Why is Stephen pronounced with a v?
English kept the Greek ph in the spelling while the pronunciation softened to a v. The Steven spelling simply writes the sound.
When is the Feast of Stephen?
26 December, the day in the carol Good King Wenceslas — also Boxing Day.
How popular is the name Stephen?
In 2025, Stephen was given to 829 babies in the United States, ranking #383 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Stephen a girl's or a boy's name?
Stephen is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Stephen?
Stephen has 2 syllables.
When was Stephen most popular?
Stephen peaked in 1952, when 23,082 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Stephen?
Stephen is usually shortened to Steve and Stevie.
Is Stephen a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Stephen currently ranks #235 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.