Is Stephen or Steven correct?
You can look it up in any dictionary. For the record, “Steven” is an American variant of the more traditional spelling “Stephen.” Both are pronounced exactly the same way (Stee-ven). By the same token, “Stefen,” “Stefan,” and “Stephan” are all pronounced the same way (Stef-un).
Stephen represents the Greek version of the name (Stephanos), with the ph representing the letter phi, usually pronounced /f/ (as in “photo”). However, a voiceless consonant between two vowels is often voiced, which would make the sound /v/.
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Stephen | |
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Derived | Greek: Στέφανος |
Related names | Stephanie, Steven |
In English, there are two common ways to spell the name: “Stephen” and “Steven.” Both are correct, and it is up to the individual with the name—or more likely his parents when he was a baby—to decide which spelling to use.
So the pattern of Stephen is historically, biblically, and descriptively pronounced as Steven and not as Stefan, although I grew up with a Polish lad, Stephan, who prounced his name as Stefan. So it all depends on your preferred national standard.
Derived from the English name Stephen and associated with the Dutch name Stefan, this name means “crown” and “wreath.” From the first Christian martyr Saint Stephen to the chivalrous King of England, baby can be inspired by those who wore the crown before him.
Stephen, (died 36 ce, Jerusalem; feast day December 26), Christian deacon in Jerusalem and the first Christian martyr, whose apology before the Sanhedrin (Acts of the Apostles 7) points to a distinct strand of belief in early Christianity.
Once Saint Stephen, a deacon and martyr, appeared in the Bible, the name became more popular with Christians. The Normans brought the name to attention in England.
In 2021 there were 1,500 baby boys named Steven. 1 out of every 1,240 baby boys born in 2021 are named Steven.
Stephen's biggest peak in popularity in the last century was from 1949 to 1951, when it was the nineteenth most popular name in the United States for baby boys. Although the name's popularity has gradually declined, it has remained relatively popular.
What is the Irish name for Stephen?
Answer. Stephen in Irish is Stíofán.
Stephen Origin and Meaning
Stephen, also spelled Steven, is a strong and likable classic, with the he's-a-great-guy short form Steve. Though not as well-used or fashionable as it was in its heyday -- it was a Top 25 name from 1946 to 1957 -- it's still a widely used name.

Stephen is the irish catholic in me's first choice but I believe Steven is the more popular, I like both. I prefer the 'ph' spelling.
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Stephen.
Origin | |
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Alternative spelling | Steven |
Nickname(s) | Stevo, Steve, Stevie, Ste, Steph |
Derived | Στέφανος (Stéphanos) |
Greek Phi was once pronounced as a hard "P" in Ancient Greek. So, Latin inscriptions wrote it as "PH" to show that it's a P sound, but with more air with H. As Greek changed, so did the Greek based English words. In Modern Greek, Phi is pronounced as "F", and no longer like "PH"/a hard P.
Most of the time, PH is pronounced like an F , not as two separate sounds. However, there are exceptions to this rule. You'll also find out how PH became part of the English language. If you want to sound more like a native speaker, get your pronunciation right.
One theory of the origin of even-steven and even-stevens is a line in Journal to Stella by Jonathan Swift: “'Now we are even,' quote Steven, when he gave his wife six blows to one.” Another theory of the origin of even-steven is that steven or stephen was a British slang term for money, according to A Dictionary of ...
Etymology 1
From Old English stefn, stemn (“voice, sound”).
How Popular is the Name Steven? Steven is the number 235 most popular boys name in the US, according to 2021 Social Security Administration data. Though still fairly popular, Steven has been slowly decreasing in popularity after dropping out of the top 100 in 2008 - the first time in 70 years!
Étienne, a French analog of Stephen or Steven, is a masculine given name. An archaic variant of the name, prevalent up to the mid-17th century, is Estienne.
What happened to Stephen in the Bible?
In Acts 6–7 you will read about one of those early disciples who was not afraid to die for his faith. Stephen testified of the truth so boldly that wicked men stoned him to death.
Stephen offers a great example of sharing the story of Jesus in the context of the larger story of Scripture. He did this to display his orthodox theological framework because the Jewish religious leaders had accused him of speaking against both the temple and the law.
In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Stephen is: Crown; crowned.
Steven Universe | |
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Full name | Steven Quartz Cutie-Pie Demayo Diamond Universe |
Species | Human-Gem hybrid |
Gender | Male |
Weapon | Shield |
Males | Females | |
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Rank | Name | Name |
1 | James | Mary |
2 | Robert | Patricia |
3 | John | Jennifer |
Stephen {proper noun}
Stefano {pr. n.}
Stepan (Cyrillic: Степан) is an East Slavic masculine given name related to Stephen.
1. Stepan is Russian and Armenian.
Steve is often used as a nick name for people named Steven/Stephen (just like Mike for Michael). Another nick name is Stevie. Other variants of Stefanos include Stephanus, Stephan, Stefan, Steffen, Stefano, Stepan, Stéphane, Étienne, Esteban, Istvan. What name is Sally short for?
- Noah. Coming from ancient Hebrew, Noah means “rest” and “repose.” ...
- Oliver. ...
- Elijah. ...
- Benjamin. ...
- Lucas. ...
- Henry. ...
- Alexander. ...
- Ethan.
What first name is the French equivalent of Stephen or Steven?
Étienne, a French analog of Stephen or Steven, is a masculine given name. An archaic variant of the name, prevalent up to the mid-17th century, is Estienne.
Stephen is of Greek origin (Stephanos). The ph is unusual in its v pronunciation. The only possibility I can think of is that it arrived in English via Spanish, where it is spelt 'Esteban'. The Spanish pronunciation of 'b' is somewhere between English 'V' and 'B'.
Stephen is a surname of English, Scottish, and German origin. It is a reasonably common surname. The German variant is thought to have originated from the German-speaking world as (Von) Stephan. Stephen is the 3,845 most common surname in the USA.
Stephen is a popular name of Greek origin derived from the word Stephanos meaning “crown” or “garland.” It is a prominent biblical name that was made famous by Saint Stephen. He was an disciple who spread the word of Christianity, which led to him becoming the first Christian martyr.