Stephen

Stephen

Saint Stephen (detail) by Giacomo Cavedone
Pronunciation	/ˈstiːvən/ STEE-vən
Gender	Male
Origin
Word/name	Greek
Meaning	Wreath, crown, honour, reward, royalty, renown, fame
Other names
Alternative spelling	Steven
Nickname(s)	Stevo, Steve, Stevie, Ste, Steph
Derived	Στέφανος (Stéphanos)
Related names	Stephan, Ștefan, Stefan, Stepan, Stefano, Stefani, Steph, Stephanie, Stevo, Steffen, Sten, Swen, Étienne, Estêvão, Esteban, István, Stephanie (feminine form)
See also	Robert, Rudolph, Roger, Louis, Ludwig, Timothy, Waldemar, Vladimir

Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen (Ancient Greek: Στέφανος Stéphanos), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the first martyr (or "protomartyr") of the Christian Church.

The name, in both the forms Stephen and Steven, is often shortened to Steve or Stevie. In English, the female version of the name is Stephanie.

Many surnames are derived from the first name, including Stephens, Stevens, Stephenson, and Stevenson, all of which mean "Stephen's (son)". In modern times the name has sometimes been given with intentionally non-standard spelling, such as Stevan or Stevon. A common variant of the name used in English is Stephan (/ˈstɛfən/ STEF-ən); related names that have found some currency or significance in English include Stefan (pronounced /ˈstɛfən/ STEF-ən or /stəˈfɑːn/ stə-FAHN in English), Esteban (often pronounced /ˈɛstɪbæn/ EST-ib-an), and the Shakespearean Stephano (/ˈstɛfənoʊ/ STEF-ən-oh).