2000
#3,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,934
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.31
Uncommon Last name
Stephen
Derived from the Greek word "stephanos," meaning "crown" or "wreath," and often bestowed as a title of honor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,702 Americans carry the last name Stephen. That puts it at #3,699 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,027 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stephen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Stephen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,027
Census rank
#3,699
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.3K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,333 bearers of the surname Stephen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3699th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stephen, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stephen
The surname Stephen originated in ancient Greece and is derived from the Greek word "stephanos," meaning "crown" or "garland." It was initially used as a descriptive name, possibly referring to someone who wore a crown or worked in a profession related to making crowns or garlands.
The name Stephen was brought to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It was initially spelled as "Estienne" or "Estevene" in Old French, reflecting the Norman influence. Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, Stephen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stephen can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various forms, such as "Stephanus" and "Stefanus."
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Stephen of Blois (c. 1097–1154) became King of England from 1135 to 1154. His reign was marked by civil war and conflict with the Angevins, led by Empress Matilda, who also claimed the throne.
Another famous bearer of the surname was Stephen Langton (c. 1150–1228), an English cardinal who played a crucial role in the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. He was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Pope Innocent III and was a key figure in the struggle between King John and the English barons.
During the 16th century, a prominent figure named Stephen Gardiner (c. 1483–1555) served as Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII and Queen Mary I. He was a staunch opponent of the English Reformation and played a significant role in the persecution of Protestants during Mary's reign.
In the 17th century, Stephen Goodyear (1638–1658) was an English Quaker who became a martyr for his religious beliefs. He was imprisoned and eventually executed for his refusal to swear an oath, which was against his Quaker principles.
Another notable individual with the surname Stephen was Stephen F. Austin (1793–1836), known as the "Father of Texas." He was an American empresario who led the second and ultimately successful colonization of Texas by bringing settlers from the United States to the region.
The surname Stephen has a rich history that spans centuries and can be traced back to its Greek origins. It has been borne by kings, religious figures, political leaders, and ordinary people throughout the ages, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscape of various regions around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stephen
Among Census respondents with the surname Stephen, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Stephen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Stephen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.3% · 4,979
- Black or African American25.4% · 2,367
- Asian and Pacific Islander13.2% · 1,236
- Two or more races4.1% · 381
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 347
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stephen
Stephen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,925
+991 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 3.36
Rank movement Up 70 places
2020
#3,699
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,333
-592 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 3.12
Rank movement Down 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,655 | 8,934 | 3.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,585 | 9,925 | 3.36 | +991 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 70 places |
| 2020 | #3,699 | 9,333 | 3.12 | -592 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 114 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Stephen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,585 | #3,699 | -3.2% |
| Count | 9,925 | 9,333 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.36 | 3.12 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stephen bearers went from 9,925 to 9,333 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,585 to #3,699.
FAQ
Stephen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stephen?
Name Census estimates that about 10,702 living Americans carry the surname Stephen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,027 residents.
How common is Stephen?
Stephen ranks #3,699 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,333 people with the surname Stephen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,702), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Stephen.
Has Stephen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stephen went from 9,925 recorded bearers to 9,333. That is a decrease of 592 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,585 to #3,699.
What does the Census say about the background of Stephen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stephen, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Stephen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.3% (4,979 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stephen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.3%), Black (25.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Stephen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Stephen mean?
Derived from the Greek word "stephanos," meaning "crown" or "wreath," and often bestowed as a title of honor. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Stephen (3.12 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Stephen?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Stephen at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.