Total births
27,681
Boys' name · since 1895
Stephan
Since 1895, U.S. Social Security records show 27,681 babies named Stephan, peaking in 1989. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1711
- among boys today
- 27,681
- born since 1895
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
27,681 babies have been named Stephan since 1895, making it today's #1711 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Stephan recorded 27,681 times among boys since 1895, holding rank #1711 nationally today, ahead of 88% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1895 to 2025.
- #1711 among boys today
- 27,681 born since 1895
- 1950s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Stephan is currently the #1711 boys' name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 27,681 born since 1895, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1711
- among boys today
- 27,681
- born since 1895
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Stephan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1711
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Stephan was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
579 babies were named Stephan in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Stephan compares
27,681 Top 5% higher than 95% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Stephan's all-time total is 75x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Stephan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 27,681 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 579 | 23 | 22,252 |
Stephan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Stephan's full recorded timeline at 1964, 67% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 33% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1895, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1989 peak of 579 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Stephan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1989
Current rank
#1,711
Active since
1895
Stephan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2025
- Peak year (1989)
- 579
- Annual births at peak, across 131 years of records
Stephan popularity over time - girls
229 total births recorded since 1956 (Stephan as girls' name)
Stephan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Stephan's strongest decade.
4,498 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Stephan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 19
1890s
19 births
- 1900s 21
1900s
21 births
- 1910s 285
1910s
285 births
- 1920s 216
1920s
216 births
- 1930s 285
1930s
285 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,931 births
- 1950s
1950s
4,498 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,275 births
- 1970s
1970s
3,179 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,324 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,343 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,040 births
- 2010s 1,566
2010s
1,566 births
- 2020s 699
2020s
699 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 4,498 births (16% of all-time use).
How Stephan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Stephan's total volume
Stephan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Stephan by state
Where Stephan concentrates geographically, total births since 1895
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,978 | 10.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 2,892 | 10.4% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 1,637 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 1,551 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Florida | | 1,279 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Texas | | 1,255 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 1,241 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,202 | 4.3% |
California share of Stephan's total US births 10.8%
Even split
2,978 of 27,681 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Stephan appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Stephan? ▼
27,681 babies have been named Stephan since 1895. It currently ranks #1711 among boys. The peak year was 1989 with 579 births.
When was Stephan most popular? ▼
Stephan was most popular in the 1950s decade with 4,498 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Stephan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Stephan are California (2,978 births), New York (2,892 births), Illinois (1,637 births).
How long has the name Stephan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Stephan since 1895 -- 131 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Stephan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Steven, Stephen, Steve, Sterling, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Stephan's data
- Stephan's decade-level peak was the 1950s (4,498 total births); usage has since declined to 699 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Stephans (2,978 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Stephan
Nearby Names Like Stephan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Stephan
Steven Boy
#268 1,293,124 births
Stephen Boy
#374 864,739 births
Steve Boy
#1686 241,224 births
Sterling Boy
#370 37,474 births
Stewart Boy
#3898 31,200 births
Compare Stephan side by side: Stephan vs Steven Stephan vs Stephen Stephan vs Steve
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Stephan
Nestor #1710
10,430 births · Peak 1991
Stiles #1712
949 births · Peak 2024
Hardin #1709
1,330 births · Peak 2021
Mylan #1713
1,442 births · Peak 2024
Oaklen #1708
725 births · Peak 2023
Baylen #1714
1,392 births · Peak 2024
Camdyn #1707
3,894 births · Peak 2016
Gavriel #1715
2,054 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1895–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Stephan: #1711 Boys' Name - 27,681 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/stephan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Stephan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.