Given name & surname
Steven
“crowned with garland”
In English use, Steven has a related form in Stephen. One Greek interpretation is “crowned with garland.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Steven has a related form in Stephen. One Greek interpretation is “crowned with garland.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Steven has a related form in Stephen. An origin associated with Stephen is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Steven is used as a variant of Stephen.
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
Steven through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,297,590
- 1,293,124 boys · 4,466 girls
- Most popular year
- 1956
- 38,491 babies
- 2025
- 1,261
- #271 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,261 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 271 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 33.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 38,413 in 1956. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (126). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 972,808 as a first name in 2020; 2,603 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.
Steven’s family of names
In English usage, Steven has a diminutive in Steve. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Steven developed from the Latin form Stephanus. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Steven has an alternative spelling in Stephen.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Steven has relatives in 15 languages.
21 related names in 15 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
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.
- EstebanSpanish
- StefanGerman
- StefanoItalian
- Etienneequivalent
- Stivenequivalent
- Stefanosequivalent
- Stevanequivalent
- Steffanequivalent
Show 32 moreShow fewer
- Stefenequivalent
- Stepanequivalent
- Steffenequivalent
- Esteveequivalent
- Steeveequivalent
- Stephaneequivalent
- Stevensequivalent
- Steponasequivalent
- Stefánequivalent
- Tapaniequivalent
- Istvánequivalent
- Stéphanequivalent
- Ștefanequivalent
- Stefequivalent
- Szczepanequivalent
- Estevoequivalent
- Estêvãoequivalent
- Étienneequivalent
- Staffanequivalent
- Stiefnuequivalent
- Ստեփանequivalent
- Stjepanequivalent
- Stefansequivalent
- Stevensen“son of” surname · English
- СтепанRussian
- Sitefanuborrowing · Yoruba
- 史蒂文borrowing · Chinese
- Στέφανοςroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- StéphaneFrench
- ŠtefanCzech
- ŠtěpánCzech
- Stephanusroot · Latin
People named Steven
- Steve JobsAmerican entrepreneur; co-founder of Apple Inc. (1955–2011)
- Steven SpielbergAmerican filmmaker (born 1946)
- Steven SeagalAmerican actor, martial artist, and film producerborn 1952
- Steven WeinbergAmerican theoretical physicist (1933-2021)
- Steven GerrardEnglish association football player and manager (born 1980)
- Steven SoderberghAmerican filmmaker (born 1963)
- Steven ChuAmerican physicist, former United States Secretary of Energy, Nobel laureateborn 1948
- Steve BallmerAmerican businessman, former chief executive officer of Microsoftborn 1956
- Steve BuscemiAmerican actorborn 1957
Characters named Steven: Steve Rogers (the Marvel Cinematic Universe), Steven Taylor (fictional character of Doctor Who), Steven Universe (fictional character), Steve Smith (the animated series American Dad!).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Steven, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Stanley
“from the stony meadow”
>99% boys
Allen
“one who is precious” · “resembling a little rock”
>99% boys
Kenneth
“born of fire” · “handsome, fair one”
>99% boys
Alan
“one who is precious” · “resembling a little rock”
>99% boys
Peter
“as solid and strong as a rock”
>99% boys
Stanton
“from the stone town”
>99% boys
Stewart
“a steward; the keeper of the estate”
>99% boys
Kevin
“a beloved and handsome man”
>99% boys