Stpehen
From the Greek word "stephanos" meaning "crown" or "wreath".
Name Census estimates that about 46 living Americans carry the first name Stpehen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Stpehen today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Stpehen births was 1984 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Stpehen. 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 Stpehen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
46
~ 1 in 7,451,181 Americans
Peak year
1984
9 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1990 SSA rank
#9,331
Tracked since 1959
Popularity
Stpehen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Stpehen from the 1950s through to the 1990s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 27 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Stpehen 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 Stpehen 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 Stpehen
The name Stpehen originates from the Greek language and culture, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek words "stephanos," meaning "crown," and "stephein," meaning "to crown." The name was likely formed as a combination of these two words, signifying honor, victory, or triumph.
In the New Testament of the Bible, Stpehen is mentioned as one of the first seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to serve the Christian community in Jerusalem. He is revered as the first Christian martyr, stoned to death for his faith around the year 34 AD. This early association with Christianity contributed to the name's widespread adoption among believers.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Stpehen can be found in the 8th century, when a Benedictine monk named Stpehen Harding founded the Cistercian Order in France. This religious figure played a significant role in the development of monasticism during the Middle Ages.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Stpehen. King Stpehen of England, who reigned from 1135 to 1154, was a prominent figure during the Anarchy period of English history. Stpehen Langton, an English Cardinal who played a crucial role in the drafting of the Magna Carta in 1215, was another influential bearer of the name.
In the field of literature, the name Stpehen is associated with the Irish writer and poet Stpehen Dedalus, the protagonist of James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" (1916). Another literary figure was Stpehen Crane, an American novelist and poet best known for his novel "The Red Badge of Courage" (1895), who lived from 1871 to 1900.
In the realm of science, Stpehen Hawking, the renowned British theoretical physicist and cosmologist (1942-2018), made significant contributions to our understanding of black holes and the origin of the universe. His work on the nature of space and time has left an indelible mark on modern physics.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Stpehen, showcasing its enduring presence across various cultures, religions, and fields of endeavor.
People
Stpehen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Stpehen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Stpehen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Stpehen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 46 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Stpehen 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 7,451,181 US residents.
Is Stpehen a common name?
We classify Stpehen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 49 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Stpehen most popular?
The single biggest year for Stpehen was 1984, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Stpehen is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Stpehen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Stpehen 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.