Steve Boy

Popularity: #833 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: steev /stiːv/

Origin: English; Greek

Meaning: English: crowned; Greek: garland, crown

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Steve is derived from the Greek name "Stephanos," which means "crown" or "garland." This name was formed from the Greek word "stephanos," which has roots in the verb "stephō," meaning "to crown" or "to encircle." The name entered the Latin language as "Stephanus," and subsequently made its way into Old French as "Estienne" before being adopted into English as "Stephen." The diminutive form "Steve" emerged as a familiar or affectionate variant of Stephen, particularly in the English-speaking world. Historically, the name Stephen gained prominence due to its association with Saint Stephen, who is recognized as the first Christian martyr.

His story is recounted in the New Testament, particularly in the Acts of the Apostles, where he is stoned to death for his faith, a significant event in early Christian history. The veneration of Saint Stephen led to the establishment of his feast day on December 26, which has been observed since at least the 4th century.

The name was further popularized in medieval England, particularly after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when it became common among the nobility and clergy. Culturally, the name Steve and its variants have been associated with qualities of honor and leadership, reflecting the connotations of victory and achievement inherent in its meaning of "crown." The name has been borne by various notable figures throughout history, including kings and scholars, which has contributed to its enduring presence in Western culture.

The name's simplicity and strong phonetic structure have made it a lasting choice across generations, while its diminutive form, Steve, has often been used in informal contexts, emphasizing familiarity and approachability.

Famous people named Steve

In this section, you will find notable people named Steve. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Steve who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Steve who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Steve Jobs is a business magnate best known for co-founding Apple Inc., developing the iPhone, and creating the Macintosh computer.

Steve Wozniak is an engineer and inventor best known for co-founding Apple Inc. and designing the Apple I and Apple II computers.

Steve Martin is a comedian, actor, and writer best known for The Jerk, Father of the Bride, and his stand-up comedy.

Steve Carell is an actor and comedian best known for The Office, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Foxcatcher.

Steve Irwin is a wildlife expert and television personality best known for The Crocodile Hunter and his work with wildlife conservation.

Steve Nash is a former professional basketball player best known for his time with the Phoenix Suns and winning two NBA MVP awards.

Steve McQueen is an actor and cultural icon best known for Bullitt, The Great Escape, and The Magnificent Seven.

Steve Aoki is a DJ and music producer best known for his work in electronic dance music and collaborations with various artists.

Steve Vai is a guitarist and composer best known for his work with Frank Zappa, his solo albums, and his innovative guitar techniques.

Steve Lacy is a musician and producer best known for his work with The Internet and his solo projects.

Steve Earle is a singer-songwriter and musician best known for Guitar Town, Copperhead Road, and his contributions to Americana music.

Steve Buscemi is an actor and director best known for Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, and Boardwalk Empire.

Steve Madden is a fashion designer and businessman best known for founding the Steve Madden footwear brand.

Steve Coogan is a comedian, actor, and writer best known for his character Alan Partridge and films like Philomena.

Steve Winwood is a musician and singer-songwriter best known for his work with Traffic, Blind Faith, and his solo hits.

Steve Cummings is a professional cyclist best known for his achievements in the Tour de France and other cycling competitions.

Steve Bannon is a media executive and strategist best known for his role in the Trump campaign and as a co-founder of Breitbart News.

Steve Albini is a musician and record producer best known for his work with Shellac and producing albums for various bands.

Fictional characters named Steve

The following list of fictional characters named Steve is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Steve Rogers is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe. He is the alter ego of Captain America, a super-soldier who fights for justice and freedom.

Steve Harrington is a fictional character from the Netflix series Stranger Things. He is a former high school jock who becomes a key ally to the group of children battling supernatural forces.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Steve, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JamesMichaelDavidJohnDanielMatthewAndrew

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Steve. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

EvanKevinTrevorSimonStevenSethStuartStanleySpencer

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Steve was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Steve has ranked as high as #77 nationally, which occurred in 1959, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Ohio, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Steve has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Steve is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Steve was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Steve.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 105 105 0
2024 99 99 0
2023 114 114 0
2022 122 122 0
2021 135 135 0
2020 148 148 0
2019 159 159 0
2018 167 167 0
2017 189 189 0
2016 205 205 0
2015 224 224 0
2014 256 256 0
2013 242 242 0
2012 303 303 0
2011 324 324 0
2010 279 279 0
2009 415 415 0
2008 422 422 0
2007 448 448 0
2006 472 472 0
2005 475 475 0
2004 484 484 0
2003 563 563 0
2002 545 545 0
2001 624 624 0
2000 649 649 0
1999 660 660 0
1998 640 635 5
1997 627 627 0
1996 648 648 0
1995 754 754 0
1994 714 714 0
1993 837 831 6
1992 887 882 5
1991 905 896 9
1990 1,015 1,007 8
1989 1,005 997 8
1988 971 949 22
1987 1,012 1,004 8
1986 999 989 10
1985 999 990 9
1984 1,051 1,042 9
1983 1,069 1,063 6
1982 1,036 1,024 12
1981 1,124 1,116 8
1980 1,229 1,218 11
1979 1,264 1,254 10
1978 1,246 1,236 10
1977 1,282 1,270 12
1976 1,422 1,407 15
1975 1,399 1,383 16
1974 1,455 1,443 12
1973 1,521 1,511 10
1972 1,860 1,845 15
1971 2,387 2,373 14
1970 2,945 2,930 15
1969 3,075 3,062 13
1968 3,428 3,408 20
1967 3,922 3,909 13
1966 4,644 4,617 27
1965 5,696 5,685 11
1964 7,109 7,092 17
1963 8,078 8,050 28
1962 9,178 9,154 24
1961 10,023 9,997 26
1960 10,666 10,645 21
1959 11,095 11,068 27
1958 10,109 10,079 30
1957 8,945 8,910 35
1956 6,497 6,472 25
1955 5,525 5,509 16
1954 5,079 5,062 17
1953 4,548 4,539 9
1952 4,329 4,313 16
1951 4,069 4,053 16
1950 4,221 4,207 14
1949 5,039 5,027 12
1948 5,756 5,742 14
1947 6,239 6,231 8
1946 4,578 4,570 8
1945 3,394 3,384 10
1944 2,847 2,836 11
1943 2,695 2,684 11
1942 2,385 2,376 9
1941 1,886 1,881 5
1940 1,561 1,555 6
1939 1,214 1,208 6
1938 1,077 1,077 0
1937 853 846 7
1936 747 741 6
1935 773 773 0
1934 771 771 0
1933 728 728 0
1932 780 780 0
1931 794 786 8
1930 869 862 7
1929 894 887 7
1928 939 925 14
1927 1,041 1,027 14
1926 1,061 1,052 9
1925 1,152 1,145 7
1924 1,227 1,219 8
1923 1,261 1,255 6
1922 1,274 1,269 5
1921 1,300 1,294 6
1920 1,281 1,281 0
1919 1,301 1,294 7
1918 1,528 1,523 5
1917 1,396 1,385 11
1916 1,399 1,399 0
1915 1,335 1,335 0
1914 1,003 998 5
1913 661 661 0
1912 548 543 5
1911 255 255 0
1910 245 245 0
1909 187 187 0
1908 149 149 0
1907 157 157 0
1906 131 131 0
1905 126 126 0
1904 123 123 0
1903 127 127 0
1902 92 92 0
1901 76 76 0
1900 139 139 0
1899 78 78 0
1898 87 87 0
1897 79 79 0
1896 94 94 0
1895 71 71 0
1894 80 80 0
1893 73 73 0
1892 68 68 0
1891 56 56 0
1890 66 66 0
1889 64 64 0
1888 83 83 0
1887 54 54 0
1886 70 70 0
1885 60 60 0
1884 66 66 0
1883 62 62 0
1882 63 63 0
1881 44 44 0
1880 52 52 0

Top States for Steve (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 13
28%
TX 10
21%
FL 10
21%
IL 7
15%
NY 7
15%