Boys' name · since 1880
Steven
Steven has 1,293,124 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1956 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #21 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #271 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,293,124
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
Steven currently ranks #271 among boys' names in America, with 1,293,124 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Steven recorded 1,293,124 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #271 nationally today, ahead of 98% 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 1880 to 2025.
- #21 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #271 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,293,124 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Steven ranks #21 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #271 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,293,124 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #21 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #271 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,293,124
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
Steven's 1,293,124 recorded births place it above 99.95% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Steven compares
1,293,124 Top 1% higher than 99% of 13,930 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
Steven's all-time total is 3,504x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Steven | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,293,124 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 38,413 | 34 | 22,252 |
Steven's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Steven's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 86% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 14%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1883, with only 13 births recorded -- set against the 1956 peak of 38,413, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Steven popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 38,413
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Steven popularity over time - girls
4,466 total births recorded since 1941 (Steven as girls' name)
Steven by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (333,666 births, 26% of the file).
1950s was Steven's strongest decade.
333,666 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Steven births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 177
1880s
177 births
- 1890s 186
1890s
186 births
- 1900s 338
1900s
338 births
- 1910s 2,531
1910s
2,531 births
- 1920s 3,639
1920s
3,639 births
- 1930s 4,834
1930s
4,834 births
- 1940s 81,204
1940s
81,204 births
- 1950s
1950s
333,666 births
- 1960s
1960s
290,607 births
- 1970s
1970s
188,078 births
- 1980s
1980s
177,454 births
- 1990s 121,110
1990s
121,110 births
- 2000s 53,909
2000s
53,909 births
- 2010s 26,897
2010s
26,897 births
- 2020s 8,494
2020s
8,494 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 333,666 births (26% of all-time use).
How Steven 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 Steven's total volume
Steven by state
Where Steven concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 153,515 | 11.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 116,253 | 9.0% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 76,665 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 65,417 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 62,609 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Texas | | 62,284 | 4.8% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 57,782 | 4.5% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 39,878 | 3.1% |
153,515 of 1,293,124 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Steven appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Steven? ▼
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When was Steven most popular? ▼
Where is Steven most popular? ▼
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What to do with Steven's data
- Steven's decade-level peak was the 1950s (333,666 total births); usage has since declined to 8,494 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Stevens (153,515 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Steven
Nearby Names Like Steven
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Steven
Compare Steven side by side: Steven vs Stephen Steven vs Steve Steven vs Sterling
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Steven
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Steven: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
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, 1880–2025 (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 Steven 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.