Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Stephen

Stephen is the name of the first Christian martyr in Roman Catholic tradition. Stephen's name comes from the Greek word “stephanos” meaning ‘garland crown’ because he was the first disciple of Jesus to receive the martyr's crown. His story is told in Acts 6-7 wherein the apostles ordained seven deacons to look after the care of widows and the poor, and of those chosen administrators, Stephen was the most famous. He is known for his eloquence and wisdom which successfully gained many followers of Jesus; so much so that he attracts the notice of some very bad men. They accuse Stephen of blasphemy against Moses and God in front of an assembly of men which Stephen faced bravely (legend has it that his face took on the formation of an angel). The men exacted the requisite ancient punishment of stoning to death. In his parting words, Stephen asks only for his enemies’ salvation: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” [Acts 7:60]. It turns out that Stephen’s public stoning had the opposite effect his executioners had intended because many Christ followers fled Jerusalem fearing for their lives to Judea and Samaria, taking with them and subsequently spreading a belief system that had been relatively confined to Jerusalem. As the first Christian martyr, Stephen’s feast day comes right after Jesus’ on December 26. Like many names from the Bible, Stephen gained popularity in ancient times and on throughout the Middle Ages as people bestowed names upon their children in homage to those they revered.

All About the Baby Name – Stephen

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME STEPHEN

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME STEPHEN

The name Stephen has been a perpetual favorite among Americans, although it is currently experiencing the low-point of its popularity as it recently moved off the Top 200 list of most commonly used boy names. Stephen was a Top 100 choice 100 years ago. It lost a little favor in the 1920s and 30s, but came roaring back in the 40s, 50s and 60s. In fact, the height of the name’s popularity was in the late 1940s and early 1950s when it sat on the Top 20 list of most favorite boy names. It maintained high usage in the 70s, 80s and 90s, but as we have moved into this new century, Americans appear to be leaving the name behind. Stephen is still a familiar and well-respected name, but it is giving way to new trends and styles in the American naming practices of this new millennium. The name maintains a modern style while still being considered a classic. There’s an unpretentious and gentle quality to the name Stephen, while the short version, Steve, offers a ‘tough guy’ image thanks to the ever-manly actor Steve McQueen. Will your little boy wear the “crown” of Stephen?

Quick Facts

ON STEPHEN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

252

PRONUNCIATION:

STEE-vin or STEF-әn

SIMPLE MEANING:

Crown, garland, reward

Characteristics

OF STEPHEN

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Stephen

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME STEPHEN

Randall Flagg is a recurring villainous figure in Stephen King’s horror fiction, making his first appearance in 1978’s The Stand and playing larger parts in The Dark Tower series. Always “The Dark Man”, Randall Flagg epitomizes the possibility for evil within every human being. His various incarnations take him from being a Klansman to being one of the kidnappers of Patty Hearst. He is always “en scene”. He has the ability to torture, terrify and tantalize, all at the same time. It seems that, in the totality of his evil, he has the particular talent to make all of the rest of us into “heroes” – we just can’t help but look good by comparison. Still and all, a fine sounding name.

Stephen Dedalus is James Joyce’s own alter-ego, appearing first in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and then in Ulysses (1922). A young man with ambitious artistic dreams, he lives somewhat apart from others, preferring his own thoughts and philosophizing, agonizing over the death of his mother, and separating from his critical father. He rebels against the mores of the Catholic Church and Irish society that have formed him. He is a complex man, full of the pursuit of his own identity and of understanding his own place in the world. He seems to eschew true human companionship, and looks for an understanding of himself through fictional characters. It is no coincidence that he shares his name with the first martyr of the Church, St. Stephen. As he aimlessly teaches school and sinks deeper into alcoholism, it is the ministering of the protagonist of Ulysses , Leopold Bloom, who offers him hope – a redemption that can be achieved through the acceptance of human sympathy and empathy.

Stephen Guest is the socially prominent, handsome young man in George Eliot’s (Mary Ann Evans) 1860 novel, The Mill on the Floss, who falls in love with the impoverished but independent Maggie Tulliver. Although they are both involved in other relationships when they meet, the sexual tension between them is immediate, although it is more pronouncedly romantic on Maggie’s part and more physical on Stephen’s. It is suggested that perhaps Stephen is not as sterling a character as Maggie’s other suitor, Philip Wakem, however, he sure seems like a lot more fun! That’s being a little irreverent, we know, but it just seems so unfair that the 19th century novel has to punish those who color outside the lines. Of course there is a scandal, of course someone’s reputation is compromised, and of course someone dies young. At the end of the day, however, Stephen Guest is one cool dude, and we’re sorry he has to suffer for it.

Stephen Blackpool is a character in Charles Dickens’ tenth novel, Hard Times, first published in serial form in 1854. Stephen is a power loom operator in a factory, where conditions are harsh and the owners do not proffer any respect to the workers. Stephen is determined to prove that he is not just an automaton, but a person, a human being, a thinking, feeling individual. To this end he does not join the union of factory workers, thereby ostracizing himself from their company as well. At the same time, he is trapped in a loveless marriage with a psychotic, alcoholic wife, from whom he is unable to obtain a divorce, thereby making it impossible for him to be with the woman he loves. Not enough misery? Let’s have Stephen lose his job, be wrongly accused of a crime, and fall down a mine shaft to an early death. Hard Times, indeed! Oh dear – but it’s still a great name.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME STEPHEN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Stephen


Popular Songs

ON STEPHEN

To Mama from Christopher and the Old Man (Stephen Stills)
A song from his "Stills" album.

Stephen's In the Sky
a song by Serafin

Stephen Song
a song by The Fall

Stephen
a song by The Hippos

Saint Stephen
a song by the Grateful Dead

Sad Stephen's Song
a song by Duncan Sheik

Feast of Stephen
a song by Mike Heron

Dr. Stephen
a song by Stephen Lynch [explicit]

Famous People

NAMED STEPHEN

Stephen (various royal members of Hungary)
Stephen, King of England (William the Conqueror’s grandson)
Stephen (various Roman Catholic Popes)
Stephen "Steve" Allen (TV personality and entertainer)
Stephen F. Austin (Texas settler)
Stephen Baldwin (actor)
Stephen Cochran (country music singer/songwriter)
Stephen Colbert (political satirist)
Stephen Crane (novelist)
Stephen Foster (the "Father of American music")
Stephen Hawking (theoretical physicist)
Stephen King (author)
Stephen "Steve" Irwin ("The Crocodile Hunter")
Stephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak (co-founder of Apple)
Stephen Wayne "Steve" Yeager (baseball player)
Stevie Wonder (musician)

Children of Famous People

NAMED STEPHEN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Stephen

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME STEPHEN

Stephen Austin, known as the “Father of Texas,” led the first successful American colonization in the Tejas province of Mexico. In January 1922, Austin brought 300 families to settle near present day Houston in the southeast region of Texas. Born in Virginia, Austin moved west of the Mississippi River with his family to Missouri at the age of 10, and he was educated in Connecticut and Kentucky. The land grant in Tejas was originally obtained by Stephen’s father, Moses, after Mexico won its independence from Spain. It was bequeathed to Stephen upon his father’s death, and Austin (at first, reluctantly) carried out his father’s plans. By 1834, over 30,000 Anglos lived in Texas, compared to less than 8,000 Mexicans which began to create animosity between the two nations of people. This led to a drive for independence by the American colonists and the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836 was ultimately won. Texas would later become a state in 1845, and Austin would become the namesake for its capital.

Stephen Austin, known as the “Father of Texas,” led the first successful American colonization in the Tejas province of Mexico. In January 1922, Austin brought 300 families to settle near present day Houston in the southeast region of Texas. Born in Virginia, Austin moved west of the Mississippi River with his family to Missouri at the age of 10, and he was educated in Connecticut and Kentucky. The land grant in Tejas was originally obtained by Stephen’s father, Moses, after Mexico won its independence from Spain. It was bequeathed to Stephen upon his father’s death, and Austin (at first, reluctantly) carried out his father’s plans. By 1834, over 30,000 Anglos lived in Texas, compared to less than 8,000 Mexicans which began to create animosity between the two nations of people. This led to a drive for independence by the American colonists and the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836 was ultimately won. Texas would later become a state in 1845, and Austin would become the namesake for its capital.

Better known as Virginia Woolfe, Adeline Stephen was an English writer of essays, short stories and novels. She is considered one of the most important literary figures of the 20th century most known for her novels “To the Lighthouse”, “Mrs. Dalloway” and “Orlando”. Heavily influenced by Marcel Proust and James Joyce, To the Lighthouse employs stream-of-consciousness narrations and meandering paragraphs to depict the make-up of a family (the Ramsays). It’s more about thoughts and perceptions within the internal landscapes of her characters rather than black-and-white reality. This novel is considered one of the greastet modernist works of fiction in the English language. Nicole Kidman portrayed her in a critical acclaimed 2002 movie, “The Hours”.

Stephen Austin, known as the “Father of Texas,” led the first successful American colonization in the Tejas province of Mexico. In January 1922, Austin brought 300 families to settle near present day Houston in the southeast region of Texas. Born in Virginia, Austin moved west of the Mississippi River with his family to Missouri at the age of 10, and he was educated in Connecticut and Kentucky. The land grant in Tejas was originally obtained by Stephen’s father, Moses, after Mexico won its independence from Spain. It was bequeathed to Stephen upon his father’s death, and Austin (at first, reluctantly) carried out his father’s plans. By 1834, over 30,000 Anglos lived in Texas, compared to less than 8,000 Mexicans which began to create animosity between the two nations of people. This led to a drive for independence by the American colonists and the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836 was ultimately won. Texas would later become a state in 1845, and Austin would become the namesake for its capital.