# Stephen

/ˈstivən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/stephen
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. given name

noun · CEFR A1

a common name for a man or boy.

For teachers: A masculine given name, widely used in English-speaking countries and derived from the Greek word for 'crown'.

- Stephen is starting his new job at the bank on Monday morning.
- Stephen was named after his grandfather, following a long-standing family tradition of passing down the name to the firstborn son.

### 2. historical/religious figure

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

a famous person from history or the Bible with this name.

For teachers: Refers to Saint Stephen, recognized in Christian tradition as the first martyr, or other historical figures such as King Stephen of England.

- The local church is named after Saint Stephen.
- The historian argued that the reign of King Stephen was one of the most turbulent periods in medieval English history.

## Examples

- My friend Stephen lives in London.
- The manager introduced us to Stephen, the new head of the marketing department.
- While the name Stephen has various spellings across different cultures, it remains a staple of Western nomenclature due to its historical and religious significance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.