Istvan
Hungarian variant of the Latin name Stephanus, meaning "garland" or "crown".
Name Census estimates that about 76 living Americans carry the first name Istvan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Istvan today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Istvan births was 2000 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Istvan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Istvan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
76
~ 1 in 4,509,926 Americans
Peak year
2000
8 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2009 SSA rank
#10,267
Tracked since 1962
Popularity
Istvan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Istvan from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 29 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Istvan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Istvan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Istvan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Istvan
The given name Istvan is of Hungarian origin, derived from the Greek name Stephanos, meaning "crown" or "wreath." It rose to prominence during the medieval period in Hungary and surrounding regions.
The name Istvan is closely associated with Saint Stephen I, the first King of Hungary, who reigned from 1000 to 1038 AD. He was instrumental in the conversion of Hungarians to Christianity and played a crucial role in establishing the Kingdom of Hungary. His birth name was Vajk, but he took the Christian name Istvan upon his baptism.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Istvan can be found in the Illuminated Chronicle, a 14th-century Hungarian illuminated manuscript. It chronicles the life and deeds of King Stephen I, who is referred to as Istvan throughout the text.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Istvan. One of the most prominent figures was Istvan Bocskai (1557-1606), a Hungarian noble and Prince of Transylvania, who led an uprising against the Habsburg rule in the early 17th century.
Another significant bearer of the name was Istvan Szechenyi (1791-1860), a Hungarian politician, writer, and reformer, often referred to as the "Greatest Hungarian." He played a pivotal role in the modernization of Hungary and advocated for social and economic reforms.
In the field of literature, Istvan Örkény (1912-1979) was a renowned Hungarian writer and playwright, known for his satirical works that criticized the communist regime in Hungary.
The name Istvan also holds historical significance in the realm of music. Istvan Kertesz (1929-1973) was a renowned Hungarian-born conductor who gained international acclaim for his interpretations of the works of composers such as Beethoven and Brahms.
Another notable figure was Istvan Csok (1865-1961), a Hungarian painter celebrated for his portraits and genre scenes, whose works are displayed in prestigious museums around the world.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Istvan
People
Istvan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Istvan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Istvan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Istvan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 76 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Istvan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,509,926 US residents.
Is Istvan a common name?
We classify Istvan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 81 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Istvan most popular?
The single biggest year for Istvan was 2000, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Istvan is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Istvan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Istvan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.