Show ContentsStefan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German name Stefan, was formed from the given name Steffen, which comes from the Greek "Stephanos," meaning "crown." Versions of this name are numerous throughout Christian Europe due to the martyr St. Steven.

Early Origins of the Stefan family

The surname Stefan was first found in Prussia, where the name gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging feudal society that would shape Europe. It later became more prominent as many branches of the house migrated and acquired foreign estates, some in such distant lands as Utrecht in Holland. Members of this family constantly improved their social status through their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Stefan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stefan research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1616, 1773, 1811, 1832, 1842, 1845 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Stefan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stefan Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Stefan include Steffens, Stefens, Steven, Stefan, Steffan, Steffe, Steffen, Stephan, Stoffen, Steffl, Steffensen, Stephansen, Stilfens, Stilphen, Stilphens and many more.

Early Notables of the Stefan family

Notable figures of the time with the name Stefan were Johann Steffens (1560-1616), a German composer, who wrote German madrigals and dance-songs, as well as sacred and instrumental pieces. Also notable was Henrik Steffens (1773-1845), a German author-philosopher of Norwegian extraction, who moved to Germany after his controversial...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stefan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Stefan migration to the United States +

The state of Prussia was a great influence on the shape of modern Germany. After the Second World War, Prussia's land was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany and the state was abolished. Some Prussians remained in those countries after the war, while many others migrated to North America in search of a new start. Philadelphia was their primary point of entry to the United States, after which many of them moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. A large number of Prussians also migrated to Ontario and the prairie provinces as United Empire Loyalists. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Stefans to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Stefan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johan Jacob Stefan, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1738
Stefan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Bernard Stefan, who settled in New York, NY in 1833
  • Martin Stefan, who arrived in America in 1856 1
  • Catharin Stefan, who settled in New York, NY in 1867
  • Christine Stefan, who arrived in America in 1869
Stefan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Eleanora Stefan, who settled in New York in 1903

Canada Stefan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stefan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Stefan (post 1700) +

  • Karl Stefan (1884-1951), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Nebraska 3rd District, 1935-51 3
  • Arndt Stefan (b. 1961), German film producer
  • Ulm Stefan (b. 1975), German sprint canoer
  • Josepf Stefan (1835-1893), Austrian physicist, professor of physics at Vienna University; he discovered the fundamental law of radiation, known as Stefan's Law
  • Verena Stefan (1947-2017), Swiss-born, Canadian feminist and writer
  • Legein Stefan (b. 1988), Canadian professional ice hockey right winger
  • Gregory Steven Stefan (b. 1961), Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender
  • Patrik Štefan (b. 1980), Czech retired professional ice hockey player
  • Joseph Stefan, American banking executive, who served with distinction in World War II and was awarded the Decorated Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster and valor device, the Purple Heart and the Croix de Guerre (France)
  • Piers Stefan Pughe -Morgan (b. 1965), known as Piers Morgan, an English broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality, known for Piers Morgan's Life Stories (2009–2020), Piers Morgan Live (2011–2014) and Piers Morgan Uncensored


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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