Baby Name Popularity Profile

Stephen

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Stephen.

✦ Crown, garland 🌍 Greek biblical traditional
National Rank (2025) #383
All-Time Peak Rank #19 Achieved 1949
Total U.S. Births 864,739 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 100.0% Boy / 0.0% Girl Male Archetype
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1950s 23,055 births in 1952
πŸ’‘ The Stephen Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Crown, garland
Language Origin Greek
Origin Type single
Derived from the Greek word 'stephanos' meaning 'crown' or 'garland'.
Common Nicknames
Steve Stevie
Alternative Spellings
Steven
Pronunciation: STEE-vΙ™n
Themes & Categories
biblical traditional
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“– The Story Behind Stephen

According to SSA data, Stephen achieved its highest historical rank of #19 in 1949. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1952 with 23,055 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 44.6%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

πŸ“Š Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Stephen across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -44.6% Decline
18801920196020002025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 23,055 births in 1952
Years in Top 100 95 yrs
Years in Top 500 146 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Moderately Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 1,684
1890s: 1,733
1900s: 2,247
1910s: 13,502
1920s: 15,556
1930s: 18,272
1940s: 106,812
1950s: 207,276
1960s: 152,240
1970s: 107,804
1980s: 113,631
1990s: 75,160
2000s: 28,902
2010s: 14,422
2020s: 5,498

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Ste-phen
Letter Count 7 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 54.1% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 54.1% of SSA names. Starts with S, a letter used by only 7.9% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Stephen.

πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Rhode Island
Top States Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, District of Columbia, Vermont
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Rhode Island Unranked 7,331 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #287 47,771 1951 16.0% Decline
Maine Unranked 7,322 1955 Insufficient historical volume
District of Columbia Unranked 7,123 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 2,551 1949 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut #277 16,090 1955 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 4,598 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware Unranked 2,950 1955 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #200 66,737 1955 9.9% Decline
New Jersey #343 33,009 1955 13.8% Decline
New York #332 89,588 1952 23.9% Decline
Maryland #283 16,102 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #377 24,043 1949 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #512 21,117 1951 52.0% Decline
Ohio #339 42,801 1951 +13.3% Growth
West Virginia #248 8,426 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Alaska Unranked 1,246 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #326 19,686 1956 21.2% Decline
Hawaii Unranked 2,653 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #372 14,958 1955 Insufficient historical volume
Michigan #407 29,980 1955 18.5% Decline
Wyoming Unranked 1,070 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas #514 8,289 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon #697 7,029 1949 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #529 38,008 1952 34.5% Decline
Oklahoma #424 10,207 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado #497 8,898 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee #406 15,716 1952 28.6% Decline
Washington #677 11,866 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Florida #449 24,932 1990 32.3% Decline
Louisiana #369 13,153 1956 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #397 20,302 1952 34.1% Decline
Utah #611 5,713 1948 Insufficient historical volume
California #432 69,479 1952 5.1% Decline
New Mexico Unranked 3,712 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #367 18,920 1970 15.4% Decline
Iowa #375 8,834 1949 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina #382 9,676 1970 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 2,021 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama #398 11,994 1956 44.0% Decline
Minnesota #705 11,932 1950 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #433 47,454 1954 16.1% Decline
Nebraska #505 4,495 1949 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas #487 6,597 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Arizona #555 7,160 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada #505 1,872 1989 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho Unranked 2,167 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #390 10,873 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi #256 6,622 1968 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 1,412 1949 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota Unranked 1,237 1952 Insufficient historical volume

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§ Sibling Name Suggestions

πŸ‘¦ Brother Suggestions
Kenneth Frederick Michael Douglas Frankie Micheal Darrell Unknown Carlton Carnell
πŸ‘§ Sister Suggestions
Catherine Gwendolyn Joy Kathryn Roxanne Darlene Therese Unknown Maureen Kathlyn

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