Skip to content
NomezoNomezo

Boy name · Greek

Stephen

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: crown, garland

Stephen is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "crown, garland". It is used in English.

Meaning
Crown, garland
Origin
Greek
Gender
Boy
US rank
#383 in 2025

Meaning and origin of Stephen

As a boy's name, Stephen comes from Greek and means "crown, garland". It is used in English.

Stephen is also a surname: the 3,699th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 9,333 people. See the most common last names.

Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names

Stephen on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Stephen on 3 lists.

  • “Crown, wreath; Greek. First Christian martyr, Acts 7”

    From Biblical names, names from the Gospels and Acts

  • “Crown, garland; Greek. The first Christian martyr”

    From Classic boy names, timeless boy names

  • “Crown, garland; Greek. King of England during the civil war of the 1140s”

    From Medieval names and surnames, medieval male names from England and France

How popular is Stephen?

US rank in 2025
#383
829 babies, 485 per million boys
Best rank
#19 in 1949
Most babies: 23,055 in 1952
Babies since 1880
At least 864,739
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 1950s, at 10,252 per million.
Babies named Stephen per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 1950s
1880s1,537 per million
1890s1,519 per million
1900s1,655 per million
1910s2,023 per million
1920s1,412 per million
1930s1,729 per million
1940s7,175 per million
1950s10,252 per million
1960s7,903 per million
1970s6,527 per million
1980s6,156 per million
1990s3,858 per million
2000s1,448 per million
2010s767 per million
2020s531 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#265#270#283#310#322#342#358#363#375#383

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Nicknames for Stephen

Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.

  • Stevecommon English nickname
  • Steviecommon English nickname

Other forms of Stephen

The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.

  • EstebanCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • EstêvãoCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • ÉtienneCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • SteaphanCrown (Greek, boy)
  • StefanCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • StefanoCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • StefanosCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • SteffanCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • SteffenCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • StéphaneCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • SzczepanCrown, garland (Greek, boy)

Names spelled like Stephen

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • StevenMedieval English variant of Stephen, crown (Greek, boy)
  • StepanCrown, wreath (Greek, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • StephanieCrown, garland (Greek, girl)
  • AdebayoThe crown meets joy (Yoruba, boy)
  • AdeolaCrown of wealth (Yoruba, girl)
  • AtarahCrown (Hebrew, girl)
  • AytaçMoon crown (Turkish, unisex)
  • EstefaníaCrown, garland (Greek, girl)
  • FolasadeHonor confers a crown (Yoruba, girl)
  • Juan EstebanGod is gracious, crown (Hebrew and Greek, boy)
  • KekepaniaCrown, garland (Greek, girl)
  • KreineCrown (Yiddish, girl)

Middle names for Stephen

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.

  • AbelBreath (Hebrew, boy)
  • BasilRoyal, kingly (Greek, boy)
  • HeathMoorland (English, boy)
  • JudePraised one (Hebrew, boy)
  • LeoA lion (Latin, boy)
  • RexKing (Latin, boy)
  • RiverFlowing river (English, unisex)
  • WayneWagon maker or driver (Old English, boy)

More boy names from Greek

  • AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
  • LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
  • HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
  • TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
  • LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
  • SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)

Stephen: common questions

What does the name Stephen mean?

Stephen comes from Greek and means "crown, garland".

Is Stephen a boy or girl name?

Stephen is mainly a boy's name.

What are nicknames for Stephen?

Common nicknames for Stephen include Steve and Stevie.

How popular is the name Stephen?

Stephen ranked #383 in the US in 2025, with 829 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What are other forms of Stephen?

Forms of Stephen with the same meaning and origin include Esteban (Spanish), Estêvão (Portuguese), Étienne (French), Steaphan (Scottish) and Stefan (German).

What middle names go with Stephen?

Middle names that flow well with Stephen include Abel, Basil, Heath, Jude and Leo. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.