Find out how popular the last name Stephan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Stephan.

Stephan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Stephan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stephan in America

Stephan is the 4522nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stephan surname appeared 7,840 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Stephan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stephan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Stephan

The surname Stephan is of German origin, derived from the Greek name Stephanos, meaning "crown" or "wreath." It first emerged in the late medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, in various regions of what is now modern-day Germany.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stephan can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony dating back to the 10th century. In this codex, a certain "Stephanus de Burckhardi" is mentioned, indicating the presence of the name in that region during that time.

The name Stephan also appears in various local records and chronicles from different parts of Germany, such as the Annales Erphordenses, a chronicle from the city of Erfurt, which mentions a "Stephanus de Quernavorde" in the year 1317.

As the name spread across Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling, including Stephan, Steffen, and Steffan. These regional variations were often influenced by local dialects and language patterns.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the surname Stephan was Heinrich Stephan, a German astronomer and mathematician who lived from 1761 to 1846. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and is best known for his work on the motion of comets.

Another prominent figure with the surname Stephan was Christian Stephan, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1758 to 1828. He was renowned for his religious paintings and etchings, and his works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Germany.

In the realm of literature, August Stephan, a German poet and novelist born in 1810, gained recognition for his works that explored themes of nature and romanticism.

Moving to the 20th century, Rudolf Stephan, a German politician and member of the Nazi party, served as the Gauleiter (regional leader) of Saxony from 1933 to 1945, playing a significant role in the implementation of Nazi policies in that region.

Finally, it's worth mentioning Walter Stephan, a German-American chemist who lived from 1912 to 1991. He made notable contributions to the field of polymer chemistry and was awarded the prestigious Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 1983 for his groundbreaking work on macromolecular chemistry.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname Stephan throughout history, highlighting its German roots and its presence across various fields and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stephan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Stephan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Stephan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Stephan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Stephan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Stephan, please contact us.

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