Boys' name · since 1944

Stephenson

Since 1944, U.S. Social Security records show 217 babies named Stephenson, peaking in 1953. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#12,468 of 45,481
all-time among boys
217
born since 1944
1980s
peak decade

Stephenson is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 217 have been recorded since 1944.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Stephenson has been recorded 217 times among boys since 1944, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1944 to 2014.

  • #12,468 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 217 born since 1944
  • 1980s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Stephenson ranks #12,468 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 217 born since 1944, peaking in the 1980s.

#12,468 of 45,481
all-time among boys
217
born since 1944
1980s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Stephenson's 217 recorded births place it above 72.57% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Stephenson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Stephenson's SSA record in two at 1976 and the more recent half accounts for 49% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 51%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1947, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1953 peak of 13, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Stephenson popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1944–2014

Last recorded 2014
Peak year (1953)
13
Annual births at peak, across 71 years of records
468101214 19441952195919731984198920022014 5

Stephenson by decade

1980s is the heaviest window (53 births, 24% of the file).

1980s was Stephenson's strongest decade.

53 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.

Stephenson births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1980s at 53 births (24% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Stephenson? ▼
217 babies have been named Stephenson since 1944. All-time, it sits at #12,468 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 2014. The peak year was 1953 with 13 births.
Where does Stephenson sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Stephenson ranks #12,468 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Stephenson most popular? ▼
Stephenson was most popular in the 1980s decade with 53 total births. The single peak year was 1953.
How long has the name Stephenson been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Stephenson since 1944 -- 71 years through the most recent 2014 data.
What names are similar to Stephenson? ▼
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 Stephenson's data

  • Stephenson's decade-level peak was the 1980s (53 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Stephenson

Nearby Names Like Stephenson

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Stephenson

Steven Boy
#271 1,293,124 births
Stephen Boy
#383 864,739 births
Steve Boy
#1609 241,224 births
Sterling Boy
#346 37,474 births
Stewart Boy
#3952 31,200 births

Compare Stephenson side by side: Stephenson vs Steven Stephenson vs Stephen Stephenson vs Steve

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Gervis
217 births · Peak 1926
Allon
217 births · Peak 2001
Lavonne
217 births · Peak 1936
Nik #9881
217 births · Peak 2005
Twan
217 births · Peak 1973
Seon
217 births · Peak 2006
Praveen
217 births · Peak 1979
Jejuan
217 births · Peak 1997

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Stephenson: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 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, 1944–2014 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

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 Stephenson 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 August 2026.