Given name & surname
Stephan
“crowned with garland”
Stephan is a variant of Stephen. One Greek interpretation is “crowned with garland.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Stephan is a variant of Stephen. One Greek interpretation is “crowned with garland.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Stephan is a variant of Stephen. An origin associated with Stephen is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Stephan developed from Στέφανος.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1895. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Stephan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 27,910
- 27,681 boys · 229 girls
- Most popular year
- 1989
- 579 babies
- 2025
- 86
- #1,850 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 86 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,850 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 28.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 579 in 1989. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (12). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 24,256 as a first name in 2020; 7,483 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Stephan’s family of names
In English usage, Stephan has a diminutive in Steph. Stephan shares a linguistic root with Stephen. In German usage, Stephan has a conventional equivalent in the English form Steven.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Stephan has relatives in 34 languages.
65 related names in 34 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 31
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Stevenvariant · German, English
- Stephenvariant · German, English
- Stephanievariant · German
- Stefanvariant · German, Danish
- Stephanyvariant · German
- Stefanyvariant · German
- Stephonvariant · English
- Stefanivariant · German
Show 23 moreShow fewer
- Stevanvariant · German, Serbian
- Stefanievariant · German
- Stefenvariant · German
- Steffanvariant · German, Welsh
- Steffenvariant · German
- Stephdiminutive · English
- Stevensvariant · German
- Stephensvariant · German
- Stephanivariant · German
- Steffanyvariant · German
- Steffanivariant · German
- Stephannlikely variant
- Стефанvariant · Macedonian, Russian
- Стеванvariant · Macedonian
- Stephanusvariant · German
- Steffensvariant · German
- Stefensvariant · German
- Steffanusvariant · German
- Steffansvariant · German
- Stefanusvariant · German, Dutch
- Stefansvariant · German, Latvian
- Steffdiminutive · German
- Stefdiminutive · German
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 49
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- EstebanSpanish
- Steveequivalent
- StefanoItalian
- Etienneequivalent
- Stivenequivalent
- Stefanosequivalent
- Stephanoequivalent
- Steeveequivalent
Show 41 moreShow fewer
- Stephanelikely cognate
- Estephanequivalent
- EstavanSpanish
- EsteveCatalan
- Stefánequivalent
- Tapaniequivalent
- Staphanequivalent
- استفانوسequivalent
- Estefânioequivalent
- ШтефанRussian
- СтепанRussian, Serbian
- Στέφανοςroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- Istváncognate · Hungarian
- StéphaneFrench
- ŠtefanCzech, Slovak
- ŠtěpánCzech
- Stevoequivalent
- PistiHungarian
- PistaHungarian
- SteenieScots
- SteaphanScots
- SteafanScots
- StaffanSwedish
- ȘtefanRomanian
- FaneRomanian
- SteivanRomansh
- EstèveOccitan
- EstêvãoPortuguese
- SzczepanPolish
- TīpeneMāori
- TēpeneMāori
- SteponasLithuanian
- StipanCroatian
- StjepanCroatian
- StiofánIrish
- EstevoGalician
- ÉtienneFrench
- 史提芬Chinese
- EztebeBasque
- EstebeBasque
- ستيفنArabic
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Stephan
- Stephan El ShaarawyItalian association football player (born 1992)
- Stephan LichtsteinerSwiss footballerborn 1984
- Stephan AndersenDanish footballerborn 1981
- Stephan EndlicherAustrian botanist, linguist and numismatist (1804–1849)
- Stefan LochnerGerman painter working in the late "soft style" of the International Gothic. (c. 1410–1451)
- Stephan EberharterAustrian alpine skierborn 1969
- Stephan SchröckFilipino association football player (born 1986)
- Stephan JamesCanadian film and television actorborn 1993
- Stephan WeilGerman politician (SPD), Minister President of Lower Saxonyborn 1958
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Stephan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
German
“a man from Germany” · “one who is brotherly”
>99% boys
Sean
“God is gracious”
>99% boys
Efrain
“one who is tertile; productive” · “fruitful”
>99% boys
Hernan
“a bold adventurer”
>99% boys
Tevin
“son of Kevin”
>99% boys
Keenan
“a small woman” · “of an ancient family”
>99% boys
Terrance
“learned” · “instigator”
>99% boys
Terrell
“one who is stubborn” · “a powerful man”
>99% boys