Stephen
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈstiËvÉ™n/, less frequently also IPA: /ˈstÉ›fÉ™n/Rhymes: -iËvÉ™n, Rhymes: -É›fÉ™n
Alternative forms
- as a given name: Steven
Origin
From Latin Stephanus, from Ancient Greek ΣτÎφανος, from στÎφανος (stephanos, "crown, wreath"), from στÎφω (stephÅ, "to put round, to surround").
Full definition of Stephen
Proper noun
Stephen
(plural Stephens)- The first Christian martyr.
- Authorized Version|Acts|6|8:And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
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- 1852 William Harrison Ainsworth, Tale of a Carpet-Bag, Ainsworth's Magazine, Vol. 21, page 17:I, for my part, ask any candid reader if it was not bad enough to be called Broadfoot, without having it aggravated into Stephen Broadfoot? I feel confident I will here get a tear of sympathy from all unhappy Andrews and Peters, and Aarons and Samuels, with a smile of disdainful compassion from thrice-happy Franks and Charleys and Bills.
- 1952 Thomas Pyles, Words and Ways of American English, Random House, page 245:It is doubtless true that American English lacks a tradition for the pronunciation of Anthony, a name which was not often bestowed upon American males until the comparatively recent craze for supposedly swank "British" Christian names, like Stephen, Peter, Michael, etc., in this country.
- 2000 Helen DeWitt, The Last Samurai, Miramax Books(2002), ISBN 0786887001, page 142:I thought that ideally it should be a name which could work whether he was serious and reserved or butch, a name like Stephen which could be Steve or David which could be Dave.