NameCensus.

UK surname

Stephan

A surname derived from the Greek given name Stephanos, meaning "crown" or "wreath," often bestowed upon martyrs.

In the 1881 census there were 82 people recorded with the Stephan surname, ranking it #21,957 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 287, ranked #15,212, up from #21,957 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broseley, London parishes and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Salford, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stephan is 296 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 250.0%.

1881 census count

82

Ranked #21,957

Modern count

287

2016, ranked #15,212

Peak year

2013

296 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stephan had 82 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,957 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 287 in 2016, ranked #15,212.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 154 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Stephan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Stephan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Stephan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stephan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 92 #18,050
1861 historical 154 #14,963
1881 historical 82 #21,957
1891 historical 134 #19,777
1901 historical 125 #20,061
1911 historical 144 #18,325
1997 modern 204 #17,409
1998 modern 236 #16,304
1999 modern 228 #16,790
2000 modern 240 #16,186
2001 modern 236 #16,094
2002 modern 252 #15,714
2003 modern 253 #15,493
2004 modern 256 #15,453
2005 modern 256 #15,407
2006 modern 262 #15,255
2007 modern 270 #15,080
2008 modern 275 #15,036
2009 modern 276 #15,300
2010 modern 279 #15,529
2011 modern 271 #15,708
2012 modern 282 #15,158
2013 modern 296 #14,876
2014 modern 296 #14,982
2015 modern 286 #15,270
2016 modern 287 #15,212

Geography

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Where Stephans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broseley, London parishes, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Worcester St Peter and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Salford, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Willowbrae and Duddingston Village and Isle of Wight. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Broseley Shropshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Worcester St Peter Worcestershire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Salford 030 Salford
2 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
3 Telford and Wrekin 008 Telford and Wrekin
4 Willowbrae and Duddingston Village City of Edinburgh
5 Isle of Wight 012 Isle of Wight

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stephan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Stephan surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stephan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Stephan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Stephan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Stephan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Stephan is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stephan is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Stephan falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Stephan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Stephan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Stephan

The surname Stephan is of German origin, derived from the Greek name Stephanos, meaning "crown" or "wreath." It first emerged in the late medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, in various regions of what is now modern-day Germany.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stephan can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony dating back to the 10th century. In this codex, a certain "Stephanus de Burckhardi" is mentioned, indicating the presence of the name in that region during that time.

The name Stephan also appears in various local records and chronicles from different parts of Germany, such as the Annales Erphordenses, a chronicle from the city of Erfurt, which mentions a "Stephanus de Quernavorde" in the year 1317.

As the name spread across Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling, including Stephan, Steffen, and Steffan. These regional variations were often influenced by local dialects and language patterns.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the surname Stephan was Heinrich Stephan, a German astronomer and mathematician who lived from 1761 to 1846. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and is best known for his work on the motion of comets.

Another prominent figure with the surname Stephan was Christian Stephan, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1758 to 1828. He was renowned for his religious paintings and etchings, and his works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Germany.

In the realm of literature, August Stephan, a German poet and novelist born in 1810, gained recognition for his works that explored themes of nature and romanticism.

Moving to the 20th century, Rudolf Stephan, a German politician and member of the Nazi party, served as the Gauleiter (regional leader) of Saxony from 1933 to 1945, playing a significant role in the implementation of Nazi policies in that region.

Finally, it's worth mentioning Walter Stephan, a German-American chemist who lived from 1912 to 1991. He made notable contributions to the field of polymer chemistry and was awarded the prestigious Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 1983 for his groundbreaking work on macromolecular chemistry.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname Stephan throughout history, highlighting its German roots and its presence across various fields and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stephan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stephan surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Shropshire leads with 33 Stephans recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.76x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 33 47.76x
Worcestershire 11 10.53x
Lancashire 7 0.74x
Kent 5 1.83x
Yorkshire 5 0.63x
Oxfordshire 4 8.10x
Devon 3 1.80x
Lanarkshire 3 1.16x
Middlesex 3 0.38x
Derbyshire 2 1.60x
Midlothian 2 1.87x
Angus 1 1.35x
Dunbartonshire 1 4.65x
Staffordshire 1 0.37x
Surrey 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Madeley in Shropshire leads with 21 Stephans recorded in 1881 and an index of 830.04x.

Place Total Index
Madeley 21 830.04x
Broseley 12 975.61x
Worcester St Peter 10 505.05x
Holy Trinity 5 26.23x
Chipping Norton 4 350.88x
Deptford St Paul 4 19.00x
Hindley 4 98.77x
Broughton In Salford 3 34.56x
New Monkland 3 39.22x
Newton Abbot St Mary 3 214.29x
Derby St Werburgh 2 27.66x
St Luke London 2 15.59x
Beddington 1 66.23x
Duddingston 1 46.51x
Folkestone 1 18.90x
Leith North 1 476.19x
Monifieth 1 38.17x
Row 1 35.97x
St George In East 1 18.38x
Wolverhampton 1 4.82x
Worcester St Nicholas 1 204.08x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Stephan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Kate 2
Mary 2
Paulin 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Anne 1
Betsy 1
Clara 1
Clarise 1
Drusila 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Elsie 1
Emilia 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Henrietta 1
Isabel 1
Kathrini 1
Lill 1
Minnie 1
Nelly 1
Rebecca 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1
Zilla 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Stephan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Stephan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stephan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 82 people were recorded with the Stephan surname. That placed it at #21,957 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stephan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 287 in 2016. That gives Stephan a modern rank of #15,212.

What does the Stephan surname mean?

A surname derived from the Greek given name Stephanos, meaning "crown" or "wreath," often bestowed upon martyrs.

What does the Stephan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Stephan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.