Stephen
From Greek Stephanos, meaning crown or wreath, the prize given to victors. The first Christian martyr bears the name in Acts.
Stephen in 2025
Stephen was given to 829 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 767th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 3,999 babies born.
The history of Stephen
Stephen reached its highest point in 1952, when 23,082 babies were given the name, ranking 35th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 32nd, in 1949.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 867,669 babies have been named Stephen. Half of them were born before 1964, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Stephen by decade
| Decade | Babies named Stephen | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,684 | 191 |
| 1890s | 1,733 | 293 |
| 1900s | 2,247 | 285 |
| 1910s | 13,553 | 188 |
| 1920s | 15,630 | 233 |
| 1930s | 18,352 | 144 |
| 1940s | 107,050 | 32 |
| 1950s | 207,627 | 32 |
| 1960s | 152,717 | 44 |
| 1970s | 108,456 | 47 |
| 1980s | 114,369 | 61 |
| 1990s | 75,380 | 65 |
| 2000s | 28,951 | 169 |
| 2010s | 14,422 | 377 |
| 2020s | 5,498 | 644 |
Where Stephen is heading
Stephen has fallen 45% over the past decade, from 1,497 babies in 2015 to 829 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1952 peak — Stephen is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Stephen
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Stephen.