Stephen
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Stephen
Stephen, also spelled Steven, is a strong and likable classic, with the he's-a-great-guy short form Steve. Though not as well-used or fashionable as it was in its heyday -- it was a Top 25 name from 1946 to 1957 -- it's still a widely used name. It remains an even more popular in Ireland.
Already common in ancient Greece, Stephen was the name of the first Christian martyr, one of the seven men chosen to help the apostles spread the gospel of Christianity. It also was the name of several popes and a British king.
There have been innumerable pop-culture role models among its bearers, including Foster, Hawking, Sondheim, Colbert and King. Steves and Stevens, meanwhile, count Spielberg, Martin and the late Jobs among them. In literature, the name has been used by Dickens (in Hard Times), George Eliot (in The Mill on the Floss) and James Joyce (in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man).
Among the attractive international versions are Stefan, Stefano and Stephano, Esteban and Etienne.
Stephen is also given to girls.
Pronounced STEE-vun.
As of October 2026, Stephen ranked #383 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #19 in 1950, Nameberry popularity #432.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #257 | 1,452 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #246 | 1,496 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #265 | 1,379 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #271 | 1,333 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #283 | 1,245 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #310 | 1,094 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #322 | 1,023 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #341 | 958 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #358 | 918 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #363 | 898 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #377 | 864 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #383 | 829 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Stephen for boys
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Stephen.
Stephen on lists
Famous Stephens
- Stephen GrahamBoy
English actor
- Saint StephenBoy
Jerusalem church deacon and first Christian martyr
- StephenBoy
King of England
- (Stephen) Grover ClevelandBoy
22nd and 24th President of the United States
- Stephen Edwin KingBoy
American novelist
- Stephen John DillaneBoy
English actor
- Stephen BaxterBoy
English hard science fiction novelist
- Stephen Joshua SondheimBoy
American composer
- Stephen William HawkingBoy
English physicist and author
- Stephen Collins FosterBoy
American songwriter
- Stephen Andrew BaldwinBoy
American actor
- Stephen John FryBoy
English actor, author, presenter & comedian
- Stephen CraneBoy
American writer
- Stephen Jay GouldBoy
American biologist and author
- Stephen "Stevie" Ray VaughanBoy
American musician
- Stephen Joseph HarperBoy
22nd Prime Minister of Canada
- Stephen Glenn "Steve" MartinBoy
American actor/comedian
- Stephen Tyrone ColbertBoy
American comedian & TV Host
- Stephen John AndersonBoy
American voice actor, animator, film director and screenwriter
- (Wardell) Stephen "Steph" Curry IIBoy
(prn. STEFF,en) American basketball player
- Stephen Joseph MalkmusBoy
American musician of band Pavement
- Stephen John "Steve" NashBoy
Candian basketball player
- Stephen TullochBoy
American football player
- Stephen SchillingBoy
American football player
- Stephen Fuller AustinBoy
American founder of Texas
- Stephen (born Kathlyn) BeattyBoy
now,son of Warren Beatty and Annette Bening
- Stephen ManganBoy
English actor
- Stephen James MerchantBoy
English comedy writer and director
- Stephen Gordon HendryBoy
Scottish professional snooker player
- Stephen Francis SneddonBoy
American actor
- Stephen Adam AmellBoy
Canadian actor
- Stephen DorffBoy
American actor
- Stephen Manderson aka Professor GreenBoy
British rapper
- Stephen MeekBoy
American actor in YouTube sketch comedy show Studio C
- Stephen Lawrence SchwartzBoy
American composer and lyricist
- Stephen Furst (born Stephen Nelson Feuerstein)Boy
American actor
- Stephen Gary "Steve" Wozniak aka "WozBoy
" American cofounder of Apple, Inc.
- Stephen Humphrey BogartBoy
son of Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart
- Stephen PearcyBoy
American metal singer for Ratt
- Stephen McDannell HillenburgBoy
late American animator, voice actor, and marine biologist known as Spongebob's creator.
- Stephen Harold TobolowskyBoy
American actor
- Stephen NedoroscikBoy
American gymnast
Stephen in pop culture
- Stephen DedalusBoy
main character in "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce
- Stephen StotchBoy
character in "South Park"
- StephenBoy
engine based on Stephenson's Rocket in the TV series "Thomas and Friends"
- Stephen FalkenBoy
character in the film "WarGames"
- Stephen Vincent Strange aka Doctor StrangeBoy
character in Marvel Universe
- Stephen WilkinsBoy
character in the film "Trick 'r Treat"
- StephenBoy
character in"The Post,it Note Affair" by Justine Avery
- Stephen WraysfordBoy
main character in "Birdsong" (Sebastian Faulks)
- "Hey StephenBoy
" song by Taylor Swift
- "StephenBoy
" song by Ke$ha
- Stephen CornfootBoy
character in J.K. Rowling's "The Original Forty"
- Stephen HolderBoy
main character in The Killing, an American crime drama television series.
- Stephen MaturinBoy
character in the Aubrey–Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian and film "Master and Commander"
- Stephen van PetrolBoy
character in the Rooster Teeth animated series "Camp Camp"
- "St. Stephen and Herod"Boy
A ballad in the 19th century collection "The Child Ballads"