Stephen
Stephen
Saint Stephen (detail) by Giacomo Cavedone Saint Stephen was the first saint in the Catholic church and his name has great importance for Christians.
Gender Male
Meaning wreath, crown
Origin Greek
Stephen or Steven (pronounced /ˈstiːvən/) is a masculine first name, derived from the Greek name Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown, garland", in turn from the Greek word "στέφανος", meaning "wreath, crown, honour, reward", literally "that which surrounds or encompasses".[1][2] The use of the noun was first recorded in Homer's Iliad.[3] The name is significant to Christians: according to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death and is regarded as the first Christian martyr. The name has many variants, which include Stephan, Stevan, Stefan and Stevon.
In Middle English, the name Stephen or Stephan was pronounced as a bi-syllabic word Step-hen or Step-han much like a Scandinavian surname. Steve was pronounced as it is in Modern English. This etymological usage began a decline in the mid-19th century.
Steve is the common short form and various diminutives such as Stevie are also used. Many family names are derived from Stephen: the most common are Stephens/Stevens and Stephenson/Stevenson (others include Stephen, Stephan, Staphan, Stefan, Stevin and Stever).
The female version of the name is Stephanie.
For Stephen as a surname see Stephen (surname), Stephenson and Stevenson.
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