English

Alternative forms

• as a given name: Steven

Proper noun

Stephen

1. The first Christian martyr.
   • 1611, Bible (KJV), Acts 6:8::

     And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

2. A male given name.
   • 1852 William Harrison Ainsworth, Tale of a Carpet-Bag, Ainsworth's Magazine, Vol. 21, page 17:

     I, for my part, ask any candid reader if it was not bad enough to be called Broadfoot, without having it aggravated into Stephen Broadfoot? I feel confident I will here get a tear of sympathy from all unhappy Andrews and Peters, and Aarons and Samuels, with a smile of disdainful compassion from thrice-happy Franks and Charleys and Bills.

   • 1952 Thomas Pyles, Words and Ways of American English, Random House, page 245:

     It is doubtless true that American English lacks a tradition for the pronunciation of Anthony, a name which was not often bestowed upon American males until the comparatively recent craze for supposedly swank "British" Christian names, like Stephen, Peter, Michael, etc., in this country.

   • 2000 Helen DeWitt, The Last Samurai, Miramax Books(2002), ISBN 0786887001, page 142:

     I thought that ideally it should be a name which could work whether he was serious and reserved or butch, a name like Stephen which could be Steve or David which could be Dave.

3. A patronymic surname​.

Derived terms

• Stephenville
• stephening

Related terms

• Steve, Stevie, Steenie
• Stephanie

Translations