Given name & surname
Steve
“crowned with garland”·“crowned in victory”
In English use, Steve is a short form of Stephen. One Greek interpretation is “crowned with garland.” In English use, Steve is a diminutive of Stephanie. In Greek use, Stephanie carries the interpretation “crowned in victory.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Steve is a short form of Stephen. One Greek interpretation is “crowned with garland.” In English use, Steve is a diminutive of Stephanie. In Greek use, Stephanie carries the interpretation “crowned in victory.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Steve is a short form of Stephen. An origin associated with Stephen is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Steve is used as a shortened form of Stephen. In English use, Steve is used as a shortened form of Steven.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Steve through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 242,131
- 241,224 boys · 907 girls
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 11,095 babies
- 2025
- 105
- #1,617 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 105 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,617 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 33.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 11,068 in 1959. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (21). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 262,435 as a first name in 2020; 1,478 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.
Steve’s family of names
In English usage, Steve is a diminutive of Steven. In English usage, Steve developed from the Latin form Stephanus. Steve has a related form in Stephen.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Steve has relatives in 6 languages.
10 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 40
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Estebanequivalent
- StefanGerman
- Stephanequivalent
- Stefanoequivalent
- Etienneequivalent
- Stivenequivalent
- Stefanosequivalent
- Stevanequivalent
Show 32 moreShow fewer
- Steffanequivalent
- Stefenequivalent
- Stepanequivalent
- Steffenequivalent
- Esteveequivalent
- Steeveequivalent
- Stephaneequivalent
- Stevensequivalent
- Stevoequivalent
- Štěpánequivalent
- Steponasequivalent
- Štefanequivalent
- Stefánequivalent
- Tapaniequivalent
- Istvánequivalent
- Stéphanequivalent
- Ștefanequivalent
- Stefequivalent
- Szczepanequivalent
- Stjepanequivalent
- Estevoequivalent
- Estêvãoequivalent
- Степанequivalent
- Étienneequivalent
- Staffanequivalent
- Stepoequivalent
- Стёпаequivalent
- Pistiequivalent · Hungarian
- StéphaneFrench
- Pistaequivalent · Hungarian
- Stephanusroot · Latin
- Στέφανοςroot · Ancient Greek
People named Steve
- Steve JobsAmerican entrepreneur; co-founder of Apple Inc. (1955–2011)
- Steve WozniakAmerican computer pioneer, inventor, computer engineer and programmer; co-founder of Apple Inc.born 1950
- Steve BikoSouth African anti-apartheid activist (1946–1977)
- Steve BallmerAmerican businessman, former chief executive officer of Microsoftborn 1956
- Steve BuscemiAmerican actorborn 1957
- Steve CarellAmerican actor and comedian (born 1962)
- Steve ZahnAmerican actor (born 1967)
- Steve MartinAmerican comedian, actor, musician and writer (born 1945)
- Steve MandandaFrench footballer (born 1985)
Characters named Steve: Steve (protagonist of Minecraft), Steve Rogers (the Marvel Cinematic Universe), Steve Trevor (DC Comics), Steve Harrington (the Netflix series Stranger Things).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Steve, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Stewart
“a steward; the keeper of the estate”
>99% boys
Stuart
“a steward; the keeper of the estate”
>99% boys
Dave
“Beloved” · “darling”
>99% boys
Pete
“as solid and strong as a rock”
>99% boys
Stafford
“from the landing ford”
>99% boys
Monte
“of the steep mountain” · “from the pointed mountain”
99% boys · 1% girls
Mike
“who is like God?”
>99% boys
Dwayne
“a dark or swarthy man”
>99% boys