The English boys’ name Stephen- Origin

The English and Biblical boys’ name Stephen is derived from the Greek name Stephanos. The literal meaning of Stephen is “crown” or “garland”. Variations of the name include Stephan, Stevan, Stefan, Stevon, and Esteban.

Steve is the common short form, and has dimutuives of Stevie and Ste. The feminine forms of the name are Estefany, Stephanie, and Stefanie. The New Testament tells the story of Saint Stephen, a deacon who was eventually stoned to death. He is known at the first Christian martyr.

Popularity

The name Stephen was popularized in England by the Normans. Ten popes have shared the name, as well as the first Christian king of Hungary. Stephen is also a popular last name.

In 1951, the name Stephen reached its peak in popularity, ranking number 19 on the most popular boys name list. The popularity of Stephen has since declined and now comes in at number 195 of the most popular boys’ names of 2015.

In England in 2013, Stephen didn’t make the top 100 baby boys’ names according to official government statistics.

Famous People Called Stephen

Modern namesakes include the famous British physicist Stephen Hawking, the American author Stephen King, and actors Steve Martin, Steve McQueen and filmmaker Steven Spielberg who directed the film ET.

Useful Resources

Checkout other boys’ names on our website.