Stephen

Saint Stephen (detail) by Giacomo Cavedone. Saint Stephen was the first martyred saint
Gender	Male
Word/name	Greek
Meaning	Wreath, crown, honour, reward, royalty (but not king)
Nickname(s)	Steve,
Derived	Στέφανος (Stéfanos)
Related names	Steve, Steven, Stevie, Stefan, Stefano, Stephan, , Fen, Steph, Stephanie, , Stanley, Steffen

Stephen, Steven (both /ˈstiːvən/), Stefan (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtɛfan]) or Esteban (Spanish pronunciation: [esˈteβan]) are first names derived from the Greek first name Στέφανος (Stéphanos), in turn from the Greek word "στέφανος", meaning "wreath, crown, honour, reward", literally "that which surrounds or encompasses". In ancient Greece, a wreath was given to the winner of a contest (from which the crown, symbol of rulers derived). The use of the noun was first recorded in Homer's Iliad. The name is significant to Christians, since it belonged to an early saint, according to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, the Greek-speaking Stéphanos, rendered as "Stephen" in English translations, was a deacon who was stoned to death and is regarded as the first martyr, in Greek "protomartyr", of the Christian Church.

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. Steven was pronounced as it is in Modern English. This etymological usage began a decline in the mid-19th century. The name has many variants, which include Stephan, Stevan, Stefan and Stevon. Steve is the common short form, while various diminutives such as Stevie and Ste are also used. The female version of the name is Stephanie. 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).