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

Steve, 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 Steve surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Steve in America

Steve is the 15483rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Steve surname appeared 1,891 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Steve.

We can also compare 2010 data for Steve 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 Steve

The surname "STEVE" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English name "Steofa" or "Stefa," which meant "one who comes from the homestead." The name was initially found in areas such as Sussex, Kent, and Essex, where many early bearers lived.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Steva." This suggests that the name had already been established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Over time, various spelling variations emerged, such as "Steyve," "Stevene," and "Stevyn," before the modern spelling of "STEVE" became standardized.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was William Steve, a landowner in Yorkshire, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1230. Another early prominent figure was John Steve, a merchant in London, who was mentioned in the city's records in 1327.

During the 16th century, the name gained wider recognition with individuals like Thomas Steve (1535-1612), an English clergyman and writer who served as the rector of Bocking in Essex. In the 17th century, William Steve (1627-1708) was a notable English Puritan minister and author.

One of the most famous historical figures with the surname "STEVE" was Sir John Steve (1766-1833), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars. He was knighted in 1815 for his services to the Royal Navy.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Charles Steve (1805-1863), an English artist known for his landscape paintings, and Henry Steve (1819-1903), a British engineer who made significant contributions to the development of railways in India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Steve

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

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 Steve 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 Steve 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 Steve was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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