Stephen, Steven (both /ˈstiːvən/), Stefan ( [ˈʃtɛfan]) or Esteban ([esˈteβan]) are first names derived from the Greek first name Στέφανος (Stéphanos), in turn from the Greek word "στέφανος", meaning "wreath, crown, honour, reward", literally "that which surrounds or encompasses". In ancient Greece, a wreath was given to the winner of a contest (from which the crown, symbol of rulers derived). The use of the noun was first recorded in Homer's Iliad. The name is significant to Christians, since it belonged to an early saint, according to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, the Greek-speaking Stéphanos, rendered as "Stephen" in English translations, was a deacon who was stoned to death and is regarded as the first martyr, in Greek "protomartyr", of the Christian Church.
In Middle English, the name Stephen or Stephan was pronounced as a bi-syllabic word — Step-hen or Step-han — much like a Scandinavian surname. Steven was pronounced as it is in Modern English. This etymological usage began a decline in the mid-19th century. The name has many variants, which include Stephan, Stevan, Stefan and Stevon. Steve is the common short form, while various diminutives such as Stevie and Ste are also used. The female version of the name is Stephanie. Many family names are derived from Stephen: the most common are Stephens/Stevens and Stephenson/Stevenson (others include Stephen, Stephan, Staphan, Stefan, Stevin and Stever).
In the United Kingdom, it peaked during the 1950s and 1960s as one of the top ten male first names (ranking third in 1954) but had fallen to twentieth by 1984 and had fallen out of the top one hundred by 2002. The name was ranked 201 in the United States in 2009, according to the Social Security Administration. The name reached its peak popularity in 1951 but remained very common through the mid-1990s, when popularity started to decrease in the United States.
Estaballah (Malayalam)
Esteban (Spanish, Filipino, Basque)
Estepan, Estebe, Extiban, Ixtebe (Basque)
Estevan (old Spanish)
Estêvão (Portuguese)
Esteve (Catalan)
Estevo (Galician)
Étienne ("Estienne" is an archaic spelling), Stéphane, Stefane, Stephanne (French)
Êtiên (Vietnamese)
İstefanos, Stefan (Turkish)
İstfan, Stepan (Azeri)
István (Hungarian)
Kepano, Kiwini (Hawaiian)
Stefan, Shtjefën, Fan, Sven (Albanian language)
Sitiveni (Tongan, Fijian)
Staffan, Stefan (Swedish)
Steafán, Stíofán, Stiofán (Irish)
Stefán (Icelandic)
Stefano (Esperanto)
Stefano (Italian)
Ștefan, with the diminutives Ștefănel, Ștefăniță, Ștefănuț (Romanian)
Štefan (Slovak)
Štefan (Slovene)
Stefan, Stefaan, Stefanus, Steven, Stephan (Afrikaans, Dutch)
Stefan, Stephan, Steffen (German)
Stefan, Szczepan (Polish)
Steffan, Stifyn, Stîfyn (Welsh)
Steffen (Norwegian)
Steffen, Stephen, Stefan, Stephan (Danish)
Štěpán (Czech)
Stefanus, Stephanus (Latin)
Stepans, Stepons (Latvian)
Steponas, Stepas (Lithuanian)
Stefan, Steven (Breton)
Stiefnu (Maltese)
Stìobhan, Stìophan, Stèaphan (Scottish Gaelic)
Stjepan, Stipan, Stipe, Stipo, Stipa, Štef, Stevko, Stevo (Croatian)
Tapani, Teppana, Teppo (Finnish)
Tehvan (Estonian)
Tipene (Māori)
Steffen (Norwegian)
Istifanous, إستفانوس, ستيف, ستيفن, اسطفان, Istifaan ستيفن, Stiifan (Arabic)
استیون (Estiven; Persian)
סטיבן (Stiven; Hebrew)
Στέφανος (Stephanos, Stefanos, Stephanas, Stepfan, Stephano, Stephanus Greek)
Степан, Стівен, Стефан (Stepan, Stiven, Stefan, Ukrainian; Стефан [Stefan] is a more western Ukrainian usage)
Стефан (Stefan), diminutive: Чефо (Chefo), Стефчо (Stefcho), Стефо (Stefo), (Bulgarian)
Стефан/Stefan, Стеван/Stevan, Степан/Stepan, Стјепaн/Stjepan, Шћепан/Šćepan, Стево/Stevo, Стијепо/Stijepo, Шћепо/Šćepo, Стевица/Stevica (Serbian)
Стефан/Stefan, Стеван/Stevan, Шћепан/Šćepan (Montenegrin)
Стефан/Stefan, Стеван/Stevan, Стево/Stevo, Стефче/Stefche (Macedonian)
Степан/Stepan, Stepa, Stepane, Stepanya, Stepka, Stipan (Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian)
Ычтапан/Içtapan (Tatar)
Ստեփանոս, Ստեփան, (Stepʿan, Stepanos, Stepan, Stepʿani, Stepʿanicʿ, Stepʿanov Armenian)
სტეფანე (Stepane, Georgian)
இசுடீபன் (Estepan, Tamil)
スティーブン、スティーブ、スティーヴン (Stiibun, Stiibu, Stiivun, Sutīvun, Sutībun; Japanese)
斯蒂芬, 史蒂芬 (Sidifen, Shidifen; Mandarin Chinese)
스티븐 (Seutibeun; Korean)
સ્ટીફન (Sṭīphana; Gujarati)
स्टीफन (Sṭīphana; Hindi)
ಸ್ಟೀಫನ್ (Sṭīphan; Kannada)
स्टीफन (Sṭīphana; Marathi)
Стефен (Styefyen; Mongolian)
स्टीफन (Sṭīphana; Nepali)
ਸਟੀਫਨ (Saṭīphana; Punjabi)
స్టీఫెన్ (Sṭīphen; Telugu)
สตีเฟ่น (S̄tīfèn; Thai)
اسٹیفن (Urdu)
স্টিফেন (Sṭiphēn; Bengali), স্টিভেন (Sṭibhēn), স্টিভ (Sṭibh)
סטעפאנוסן (Stʻpʼnwsn; Yiddish)
Eapen (Malayalam)
Steephan (South Indian)
Steeve or Stephane and Stephanie for female (Québec)
İstfan, Stepan (Azeri)
Steffeni, Stefani, Stiifaat (Greenlandic)
ᔅᑏᕕᓐ (Stiifin; Inuktitut)
ᔅᑌᕝᐋᓐ, ᔅᑌᕚᓐ (Stefân, Stevân; East Cree)
Ecen (Wolof)
Etiiviuq (Yup'ik)
Stefanu (Yoruba)
uStefanu (Zulu)
Saint Stephen (died c. 35), with the title of Protomartyr (lit. "first martyr") due to his distinct fate among the early Christians
Stephen, one of the pair of Christian saints and martyrs Socrates and Stephen
Stephen the Younger (ca. 715–765), Byzantine iconodule martyr
Stephen I of Hungary (c. 965–1038), canonized in 1083
Stephen of Obazine (1085–1154), Cistercian, first Abbot of Obazine Abbey, France
Stephen Harding (died 1134), English, one of the founders of the Cistercian Order; Catholic saint
Stephen III of Moldavia or Stephen the Great and Holy (c.1432–1504)
Stephen of Armenia (died 1165), marshal, son of Leo I
Stephen of England or Stephen of Blois (c. 1096–1154), grandson of William the Conqueror
Stephen I of Hungary (c. 965–1038), Grand Prince of the Magyars, first king of Hungary
Stephen II of Hungary (1101–1131), elder son of King Coloman
Stephen III of Hungary (1147–1172), eldest son of King Geza II
Stephen IV of Hungary (c.1133–1165), third son of King Béla II
Stephen V of Hungary (1239–1272), elder son of King Béla IV
Stephen I of Moldavia (1394–1399), son of Costea
Stephen II of Moldavia (died 1447), prince, son of Alexandru cel Bun
Stephen III of Moldavia or Stephen the Great and Holy (c.1432–1504), son of Bogdan II
Stephen Báthory of Poland (1533–1586), prince of Transylvania, king consort of Poland, grand duke consort of Lithuania
Stephen Uroš I of Serbia (died 1277), son of Stefan Nemanjić
Stjepan Držislav of Croatia (died 997), king 969–997
Stjepan I of Croatia (died 1058), king 1030–1058
Stjepan II of Croatia (died 1091), king 1089–1091, last member of the Trpimirović dynasty
Ivan Stephen of Bulgaria (died after 1343), tsar 1330–1331
Pope Stephen I (died 257), Bishop of Rome from 254–257
Pope-elect Stephen (died 752), elected Pope but died before being ordained
Pope Stephen II (died 757), pope from 752–757
Pope Stephen III (720–772), pope from 768–772
Pope Stephen IV (died 817), pope from 816–817
Pope Stephen V (died 891), pope from 885–891
Pope Stephen VI (died 897), pope from 896–897
Pope Stephen VII (died 931), pope from 929–931
Pope Stephen VIII (died 942), German, pope from 939–942
Pope Stephen IX (c. 1020–1058), pope from 1057–1058
Esteban, bishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zaragoza, Spain, from 1128 to 1130
Ecumenical Patriarch Stephen I of Constantinople (867–893), patriarch from 886 to 893
Ecumenical Patriarch Stephen II of Constantinople, from Amasea, patriarch from 925 to 928
Stephanus I, Archbishop of Aquileia, Italy, c. 515
Stephanus II, Patriarch of Grado, Italy, c. 670
Stephanus of Byzantium, 6th century author of Ethnica, a geographical dictionary
Stephanus, a pupil of Pasiteles (fl. 33 BCE) sculptor in the time of Caesar Augustus
Stephen Adekolu (born 1989), Canadian football player
Stephen F. Austin (1793–1836), impresario who settled Texas
Stephen Baldwin (born 1966), American actor
Steven Beitashour, Iranian footballer
Stephen Vincent Benét (1898–1943), American author
Steven Best (born 1955), American activist and presenter
Steven Berk (born 1949), American physician and author
Steven Blane, American Jewish Universalist rabbi
Steven Chambers (born 1990), Australian baseball player
Stephen Chow (born 1962), Hong Kong actor, comedian and director
Stephen Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), 22nd and 24th President of the United States
Stephen Cochran (born 1979), American country music singer/songwriter
Stephen Colbert (born 1964), American political satirist, comedian, and host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Stephen Corry, Director of the British indigenous rights organisation Survival International
Stephen Costello (born 1981), American opera singer
Stephen Crane (1871–1900), American novelist and journalist
Stephen Curry (basketball) (born 1988), American basketball player
Steven Dehler (born 1987), American model
Stephen Dorff (born 1973), American actor
Steven Duren (born 1956), American singer-songwriter also known as Blackie Lawless
Stephen Farrelly (aka Sheamus) (born 1978), Irish professional wrestler and actor
Stephen Foster (1826–1864), known as the "Father of American music"
Stephen Fry (born 1957), British actor, comedian, and television presenter
Steven Gerrard (born 1980), English footballer
Stephen Goodin (born 1988), American football player
Stephen Jay Gould (1941–2002), American paleontologist/biologist
Stephen Victor Graham, 18th Governor of American Samoa
Stephen Harper (born 1959), 22nd Prime Minister of Canada (2006-2015)
Stephen Hawking (born 1942), British theoretical physicist
Stephen Hawkins (born 1971), Australian rower
Stephen Hendry (born 1969), British snooker player
Steven Herzberg (born 1957), English-born Australian cricketer
Stephen Kosgei Kibet (born 1986), Kenyan half marathon runner
Stephen King (born 1947), American horror fiction and screenplay writer
Stephen Maguire (born 1981), British snooker player
Stephen Malkmus (born 1966), indie rock musician
Stephen Joseph McGroarty (1830–1870), Irish American soldier
Steven Marković (born 1985), Australian basketball player
Stephen Merchant (born 1974), British writer, director, radio presenter, and actor
Stephen Milligan (1948–1994), British politician and journalist
Stephen Campbell Moore (born 1979), British actor
Stephen Morris (musician) (born 1957), British drummer and musician
Steven W. Mosher (born 1948), American social scientist and author
Steven Pinker (born 1954), American cognitive scientist and popular science author
Stephen Port (born 1975), British serial killer
Stephen Sackur (born 1964), British BBC journalist
Steven Seagal (born 1952), American actor
Steven Soderbergh (born 1963), American film director
Steven Spielberg (born 1946), American film director
Stephen C. Spiteri (born 1963), Maltese military historian
Stephen Timms (born 1955), British politician
Steven Tyler (born 1948), American singer songwriter and Aerosmith frontman
Stephen Wallem (born 1968), American theater/television actor and singer
Steven Wright (born 1955), American comedian, actor, writer, and film producer
Steven Yeun (born 1983), Korean-American actor and singer
Stephen, an engine based on Stephenson's Rocket in the TV series Thomas and Friends.
Steven (Alice Cooper character)
Stephen Dedalus, a character in the novels A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Ulysses by James Joyce
Stephen Falken, a character in the film WarGames
Steven Fraser, a character in the film Cyberbully
Steven Hyde, a character in the TV series That '70s Show
Steven Quartz Universe, title character in the animated series Steven Universe
Stephen Strange, also known as Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme in the Marvel Universe
Steven Stone, champion and final boss from the Pokémon games Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald and their 3D remakes Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
Stephen Wilkins, a character in the film Trick 'r Treat
In England and Wales, neither "Stephen" nor "Steven" was among the top 100 names for newborn boys in 2003–2007. In Scotland, "Steven" and "Stephen" were the 8th and 10th most popular names for newborn boys in 1975, but were not in the top ten in 1900, 1950 or 2000. "Stephen" was 68th in 1900, and 46th in 1950, while "Steven" was not in the top 100 either year. Neither spelling was in the top 100 names for newborn boys in Scotland in 2008.
Neither "Stephen" nor "Steven" was among top 25 most popular baby boys' names in Ireland in 2006 or 2007.
In the United States, the spelling "Stephen" reached its peak of popularity between 1949–1951, when it was the 19th most popular name for newborn boys. It stayed in the top 100 boys' names from 1936 through 2000, and for most years between 1897 and 1921. In 2008 it was the 192nd most common name for boys. The spelling "Steven" reached its peak during 1955–1961, when it was the 10th most popular name for newborn boys. It stayed in the top 100 boys' names from 1941 through 2007. In 2008 it was the 104th most popular name for boys. Before the 20th century, the "Steven" spelling was heavily outweighed by "Stephen", never reaching above 391st.
