Stephen
From Latin Stephanus, from Ancient Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos), from στέφανος (stéphanos, “crown, wreath”), from στέφω (stéphō, “to put round, to surround”).
Every Stephen since 1880 — 867,669 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Stephen
Stephen is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #383 in 2025 with 829 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 867,669 American babies have been named Stephen. Its peak came in 1952, when 23,082 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Stephen stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Stephen year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 829 | #383 |
| 2024 | — | — | 870 | #375 |
| 2023 | — | — | 898 | #363 |
| 2022 | — | — | 919 | #358 |
| 2021 | — | — | 958 | #342 |
| 2020 | — | — | 1,024 | #322 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,095 | #310 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,246 | #283 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,334 | #270 |
| 2016 | — | — | 1,379 | #265 |
| 2015 | — | — | 1,497 | #246 |
| 2014 | — | — | 1,452 | #257 |
| 2013 | — | — | 1,452 | #252 |
| 2012 | — | — | 1,568 | #225 |
| 2011 | — | — | 1,579 | #229 |
| 2010 | — | — | 1,820 | #201 |
| 2009 | — | — | 1,920 | #200 |
| 2008 | — | — | 2,092 | #192 |
| 2007 | 6 | #17,359 | 2,376 | #172 |
| 2006 | — | — | 2,552 | #164 |
| 2005 | 9 | #11,726 | 2,745 | #143 |
| 2004 | 10 | #10,585 | 2,851 | #140 |
| 2003 | 6 | #15,535 | 3,142 | #128 |
| 2002 | 10 | #10,147 | 3,349 | #114 |
| 2001 | — | — | 3,738 | #102 |
| 2000 | 8 | #11,664 | 4,137 | #95 |
| 1995 | 19 | #5,192 | 6,556 | #57 |
| 1990 | 36 | #3,146 | 11,943 | #39 |
| 1985 | 97 | #1,360 | 12,210 | #36 |
| 1980 | 67 | #1,702 | 10,062 | #40 |
| 1975 | 70 | #1,478 | 9,732 | #34 |
| 1970 | 66 | #1,517 | 14,758 | #27 |
| 1965 | 34 | #2,026 | 14,648 | #28 |
| 1960 | 50 | #1,595 | 16,267 | #27 |
| 1955 | 34 | #1,832 | 22,155 | #21 |
| 1950 | 31 | #1,711 | 20,511 | #19 |
| 1945 | 24 | #1,740 | 8,641 | #26 |
| 1940 | 13 | #2,399 | 4,423 | #49 |
| 1935 | 6 | #4,150 | 1,650 | #113 |
| 1930 | 16 | #2,195 | 1,257 | #138 |
| 1925 | 9 | #3,624 | 1,482 | #122 |
| 1920 | — | — | 1,771 | #96 |
| 1915 | 9 | #3,106 | 1,850 | #86 |
| 1910 | — | — | 350 | #96 |
| 1905 | — | — | 246 | #93 |
| 1900 | — | — | 181 | #127 |
| 1895 | — | — | 179 | #104 |
| 1890 | — | — | 156 | #109 |
| 1885 | — | — | 158 | #93 |
| 1880 | — | — | 176 | #84 |
Famous people named Stephen
- Stephen Hawking Physicist · 1942–2018
- Stephen King Writer · b. 1947
- Stephen Báthory Politician · 1533–1586
- Stephen I of Hungary Politician · 975–1038
- Stephen III of Moldavia Politician · 1433–1504
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Stephen mean?
From Latin Stephanus, from Ancient Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos), from στέφανος (stéphanos, “crown, wreath”), from στέφω (stéphō, “to put round, to surround”).
How popular is the name Stephen in 2025?
Stephen ranked #383 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 829 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Stephen?
867,669 babies have been named Stephen in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Stephen most popular?
Stephen peaked in 1952, when 23,082 newborns received the name.
Is Stephen a boy or girl name?
Stephen is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Stephen rising or falling?
Stephen is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Stephen?
Well-known people named Stephen include Stephen Hawking (physicist), Stephen King (writer), Stephen Báthory (politician).