Nameling

Stephen

Gender
Boy
Say it
STEE-ven
Origin
Greek
UK rank, 2025
#644 for boys
US rank, 2025
#383 for boys

TimelessBig in Northern Ireland

Stephen is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “crown, garland”. In 2025 it ranked 644th for boys in the UK (64 babies) and 383rd for boys in the US (829 babies).

What does Stephen mean?

Greek

“crown, garland”

St Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is remembered on 26 December, Boxing Day in Britain.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Stephen a girl's or a boy's name?

Stephen is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 64 boys in the UK and 829 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Stephen in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#644among boys
Babies in 2025
64about 1 in 4,700 boys
Five-year trend
Fallingdown 35% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 64 boys in the UK were named Stephen, making it the 644th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 478th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 1,340 boys.

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Stephen since the records began in 1996.

Half of all the boys named Stephen in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2007. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

In 2025, 112 boys in the UK were given Stephen or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #414, up from #644 for this spelling alone.

Among boys in 2025, it was 716th in England and Wales, 400th in Scotland and 253rd in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#67), 1914 (#68), 1924 (#76), 1934 (#84), 1944 (#40), 1954 (#3), 1964 (#7), 1974 (#11), 1984 (#20) and 1994 (#48).

1996Busiest: 1,340 in 19962025
Stephen in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202564#644
202467#622
202369#597
202287#506
2021104#453
202092#478
2019100#458
2018116#414
2017149#358
2016152#351
2015184#298
2014181#294
2013217#259
2012218#254
2011268#214
2010284#206
2009318#190
2008344#171
2007374#159
2006408#148
2005423#140
2004486#129
2003502#119
2002554#103
2001701#90
2000796#75
1999997#69
19981,172#66
19971,318#60
19961,340#57

How popular is Stephen in the US?

Rank in 2025
#383among boys
Babies in 2025
829about 1 in 2,100 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 23% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 829 boys in the US were named Stephen, making it the 383rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 322nd. Its busiest year was 1952, with 23,055 boys.

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 10 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Stephen than any year since 1911.

Half of all the boys named Stephen in the US since 1880 were born between 1952 and 1982, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 2,162 boys in the US were given Stephen or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #188, up from #383 for this spelling alone.

1880Busiest: 23,055 in 19522025
Stephen in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025829#383
2024870#374
2023898#363
2022919#358
2021958#339
20201,024#322
20191,095#310
20181,246#283
20171,334#270
20161,379#265
20151,497#246
20141,452#257
20131,452#252
20121,568#225
20111,579#228
20101,820#201
20091,920#199
20082,092#191
20072,376#172
20062,552#164
20052,745#143
20042,851#140
20033,142#128
20023,349#114
20013,738#102
20004,137#95
19994,543#85
19985,013#78
19975,414#68
19966,008#59
19956,556#57
19947,481#49
19938,369#47
19929,308#45
199110,525#41
199011,943#39
198911,736#40
198811,607#40
198711,550#38
198611,877#36
198512,210#36
198412,096#35
198311,564#35
198210,627#38
198110,302#39
198010,062#40
19799,903#40
19789,854#37
19779,635#38
19769,727#37
19759,732#34
197410,101#35
19739,955#32
197211,037#29
197113,102#27
197014,758#27
196915,090#27
196814,761#27
196715,087#26
196614,742#26
196514,648#28
196414,968#29
196314,992#29
196215,616#28
196116,069#27
196016,267#27
195916,504#28
195817,962#26
195719,726#24
195621,204#23
195522,155#21
195421,878#20
195321,807#21
195223,055#21
195122,474#19
195020,511#19
194920,488#19
194817,061#20
194715,328#21
194611,832#24
19458,641#26
19447,793#28
19437,932#29
19427,503#32
19415,811#41
19404,423#49
19393,176#65
19382,726#74
19372,133#92
19361,862#99
19351,650#113
19341,424#121
19331,321#126
19321,389#124
19311,334#129
19301,257#138
19291,357#126
19281,335#130
19271,446#125
19261,335#130
19251,482#122
19241,635#110
19231,605#109
19221,722#101
19211,868#97
19201,771#96
19191,693#97
19181,843#96
19171,892#89
19161,877#87
19151,850#86
19141,486#80
19131,097#86
1912928#88
1911486#83
1910350#95
1909314#90
1908280#94
1907273#94
1906207#102
1905246#93
1904178#117
1903200#96
1902210#94
1901158#108
1900181#127
1899178#97
1898195#98
1897194#94
1896164#113
1895179#103
1894174#103
1893175#101
1892178#104
1891140#106
1890156#107
1889164#101
1888187#98
1887165#91
1886181#89
1885158#93
1884165#93
1883140#97
1882201#81
1881147#88
1880176#84

Nicknames for Stephen

Names like Stephen

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Michael Jason Patrick Peter David Thomas Daniel Andrew Christopher Robert John Stefan

Other spellings of Stephen

Steven Stiven Stefon Stevan Stefen Steffen

Names related to Stephen

Stephan Stephane Stephon Stephano Stephone

More Greek names

Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe

Every Greek name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Stephen: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/stephen, updated 20 October 2026.