It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen (Ancient Greek: Στέφανος Stéphanos), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the first martyr (or "protomartyr") of the Christian Church.

In modern times the name has sometimes been given with intentionally non-standard spelling, such as Stevan or Stevon.

The name "Stephen" (and its common variant "Steven")[1] is derived from Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos), a first name from the Greek word στέφανος (stéphanos), meaning 'wreath, crown' and by extension 'reward, honor, renown, fame', from the verb στέφειν (stéphein), 'to encircle, to wreathe'.

[11] In Scotland, "Steven" and "Stephen" were the eighth and tenth most popular names for newborn boys in 1975, but were not in the top ten in 1900, 1950 or 2000.

[16] The spelling "Steven" reached its peak during 1955–1961, when it was the tenth most popular name for newborn boys.