Total births
864,739
Boys' name · since 1880
Stephen
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 864,739 babies named Stephen, peaking in 1952. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #374
- among boys today
- 864,739
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Stephen is the #374 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 864,739 recorded since 1880.
Stephen has 864,739 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #374 as of the latest data, more common than 97% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #374 among boys today
- 864,739 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Stephen is currently the #374 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 864,739 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #374
- among boys today
- 864,739
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Stephen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#374
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Stephen was born in this single decade.
1952
Single peak year
23,055 babies were named Stephen in 1952 - its busiest year on record.
How Stephen compares
864,739 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Stephen's all-time total is 2,356x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Stephen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 864,739 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 23,055 | 23 | 22,252 |
Stephen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Stephen's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 74% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 26%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1883, with only 140 births recorded -- set against the 1952 peak of 23,055, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Stephen at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1952
Current rank
#374
Active since
1880
Stephen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1952)
- 23,055
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Stephen popularity over time - girls
2,930 total births recorded since 1912 (Stephen as girls' name)
Stephen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Stephen's strongest decade.
207,276 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Stephen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,684
1880s
1,684 births
- 1890s 1,733
1890s
1,733 births
- 1900s 2,247
1900s
2,247 births
- 1910s 13,502
1910s
13,502 births
- 1920s 15,556
1920s
15,556 births
- 1930s 18,272
1930s
18,272 births
- 1940s
1940s
106,812 births
- 1950s
1950s
207,276 births
- 1960s
1960s
152,240 births
- 1970s
1970s
107,804 births
- 1980s
1980s
113,631 births
- 1990s 75,160
1990s
75,160 births
- 2000s 28,902
2000s
28,902 births
- 2010s 14,422
2010s
14,422 births
- 2020s 5,498
2020s
5,498 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 207,276 births (24% of all-time use).
How Stephen 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 Stephen's total volume
Stephen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Stephen by state
Where Stephen concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 89,588 | 10.4% |
| #2 | California | | 69,479 | 8.0% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 66,737 | 7.7% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 47,771 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Texas | | 47,454 | 5.5% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 42,801 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 38,008 | 4.4% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 33,009 | 3.8% |
New York share of Stephen's total US births 10.4%
Even split
89,588 of 864,739 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Stephen appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Stephen? ▼
Stephen has been given to 864,739 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #374 as of the latest data. 23,055 babies were born in 1952, its single highest year.
When was Stephen most popular? ▼
Stephen was most popular in the 1950s decade with 207,276 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Stephen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Stephen are New York (89,588 births), California (69,479 births), Pennsylvania (66,737 births).
How long has the name Stephen been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Stephen since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Stephen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Steven, Steve, Sterling, Stewart, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Stephen's data
- Stephen's decade-level peak was the 1950s (207,276 total births); usage has since declined to 5,498 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Stephens (89,588 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Stephen
Nearby Names Like Stephen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Stephen
Steven Boy
#268 1,293,124 births
Steve Boy
#1686 241,224 births
Sterling Boy
#370 37,474 births
Stewart Boy
#3898 31,200 births
Stephan Boy
#1711 27,681 births
Compare Stephen side by side: Stephen vs Steven Stephen vs Steve Stephen vs Sterling
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Stephen
Ricardo #373
146,456 births · Peak 1998
Zander #375
28,750 births · Peak 2013
Grady #372
52,474 births · Peak 2008
Kylo #376
5,345 births · Peak 2024
Killian #371
16,219 births · Peak 2017
Wells #377
6,989 births · Peak 2025
Sterling #370
37,474 births · Peak 2025
Eduardo #378
110,257 births · Peak 2001
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Stephen: #374 Boys' Name - 864,739 Births, Peak 1952." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/stephen. 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 Stephen 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.