Stephen

Stephen or Steven is an English male first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen (Ancient Greek: Στέφανος, romanized: Stéphanos, lit. 'wreath, crown'), 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. The name, in both the forms Stephen and Steven, is often shortened to Steve or Stevie. In English, the female version of the name is Stephanie. Many surnames are derived from the first name, including Stephens, Stevens, Stephenson, and Stevenson, all of which mean "Stephen's (son)". In modern times the name has sometimes been given with intentionally non-standard spelling, such as Stevan or Stevon. A common variant of the name used in English is Stephan ( STEF-ən); related names that have found some currency or significance in English include Stefan (pronounced STEF-ən or stə-FAHN in English), Esteban (often pronounced EST-ib-an), and the Shakespearean Stephano ( STEF-ən-oh).