Stephen
Say it: STEE-ven/ˈstiːvən/
BoyMeans crown or wreath7 letters2 syllables
#232
in Ireland (2025)
#229 with spellings combined
20
babies in 2025
#4
best rank (1983)
26,368
babies since 1964
Down 115
10-year rank change
Stephen through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | #229 |
| 2024 | 18 | #238 |
| 2023 | 20 | #220 |
| 2022 | 25 | #200 |
| 2021 | 27 | #193 |
| 2020 | 25 | #198 |
| 2019 | 32 | #176 |
| 2018 | 39 | #152 |
| 2017 | 45 | #138 |
| 2016 | 50 | #131 |
| 2015 | 61 | #114 |
| 2014 | 59 | #120 |
| 2013 | 89 | #86 |
| 2012 | 84 | #95 |
| 2011 | 99 | #77 |
| 2010 | 91 | #88 |
| 2009 | 105 | #77 |
| 2008 | 154 | #58 |
| 2007 | 131 | #60 |
| 2006 | 165 | #46 |
| 2005 | 170 | #42 |
| 2004 | 205 | #37 |
| 2003 | 214 | #33 |
| 2002 | 201 | #33 |
| 2001 | 263 | #26 |
| 2000 | 250 | #27 |
| 1999 | 285 | #23 |
| 1998 | 306 | #17 |
| 1997 | 524 | #14 |
| 1996 | 533 | #10 |
| 1995 | 523 | #10 |
| 1994 | 623 | #8 |
| 1993 | 652 | #7 |
| 1992 | 724 | #6 |
| 1991 | 809 | #4 |
| 1990 | 823 | #4 |
| 1989 | 735 | #6 |
| 1988 | 851 | #4 |
| 1987 | 875 | #5 |
| 1986 | 921 | #6 |
| 1985 | 1,000 | #4 |
| 1984 | 1,024 | #5 |
| 1983 | 1,116 | #4 |
| 1982 | 1,017 | #7 |
| 1981 | 826 | #8 |
| 1980 | 773 | #11 |
| 1979 | 720 | #11 |
| 1978 | 710 | #10 |
| 1977 | 704 | #10 |
| 1976 | 779 | #10 |
| 1975 | 692 | #11 |
| 1974 | 606 | #12 |
| 1973 | 602 | #12 |
| 1972 | 593 | #13 |
| 1971 | 568 | #14 |
| 1970 | 467 | #17 |
| 1969 | 466 | #18 |
| 1968 | 402 | #20 |
| 1967 | 379 | #18 |
| 1966 | 423 | #17 |
| 1965 | 379 | #20 |
| 1964 | 296 | #25 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Stephen mean?
Crown or wreath
Greek, from stephanos (crown, wreath), through Latin Stephanus.
Say it right
STEEven
The story of Stephen
Stephen comes from the Greek stephanos, meaning a crown or a wreath, the kind given to winners in the ancient games. It reached English through the Latin form Stephanus. The Irish form is Stiofán.
The name belongs above all to Saint Stephen. The Book of Acts describes him as one of the first deacons in Jerusalem, and tells how he was stoned to death, which makes him the first Christian martyr. His feast is 26 December, so in Ireland the day after Christmas is Saint Stephen’s Day, the day of the wren boys.
Stephen was already common when the CSO records begin, and it climbed to number 4 in 1983, its peak, with 1,116 boys. It stayed in or near the top 10 into the 1990s. It has become much rarer since, and in 2025 it was number 232, with 20 babies. The CSO counts Stephen and Steven separately.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Stephen (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Stephen
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
SteveStevie
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen | 20 | 26,368 |
In Northern Ireland
#253 in 2025 with 7 babies. Best rank #21 (1998); 1,157 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.