Total births
1,293,124
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.
- #268
- among boys today
- 1,293,124
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Steven currently ranks #268 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 #268 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.
- #268 among boys today
- 1,293,124 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Steven is currently the #268 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 1,293,124 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #268
- among boys today
- 1,293,124
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Steven vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#268
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Steven was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
38,413 babies were named Steven in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Steven compares
1,293,124 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
Steven's all-time total is 3,523x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Steven | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,293,124 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 38,413 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1956
Current rank
#268
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Steven's total US births 11.9%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 1,293,124 babies named Steven. Today it holds rank #268 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1956, with 38,413 births.
When was Steven most popular? ▼
Steven was most popular in the 1950s decade with 333,666 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Steven most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Steven are California (153,515 births), New York (116,253 births), Illinois (76,665 births).
How long has the name Steven been used? ▼
Records for Steven go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Steven? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Stephen, Steve, Sterling, Stewart, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Steven
Nearby Names Like Steven
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Steven
Stephen Boy
#374 864,739 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 Steven side by side: Steven vs Stephen Steven vs Steve Steven vs Sterling
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Steven
Tristan #267
124,243 births · Peak 2008
Lukas #269
44,053 births · Peak 2019
Jeremy #266
446,425 births · Peak 1977
Emerson #270
33,521 births · Peak 2025
Blake #265
186,558 births · Peak 2012
Walter #271
631,172 births · Peak 1918
Lennox #264
14,330 births · Peak 2022
Cade #272
34,772 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. "Steven: #268 Boys' Name - 1,293,124 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/steven. 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 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 June 2026.