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Stephan History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Stephan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

The ancestors of the Stephan family first reached the shores of England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Their name is derived from the ancient personal name Stephen, meaning crown, wreath, or garland.

"This name was introduced into Britain by the Normans, with whom it was a favorite. Although found occasionally in England before 1066 its use then was due really to Christian tradition, Stephen (Stephanos) having been the first Christian martyr after Christ." 1

"This scripture name, like many others, was not introduced here until the Norman Conquest, after which we find it in the form of Fitz-Stephen. It occupies a large place among our surnames in the usual genitive forms of Stephens. Stevens, Steevens, Stephenson, Stevenson." 2

Early Origins of the Stephan family

The surname Stephan was first found in Gloucestershire where they were descended from FitzStephen, a Breton knight who was conjecturally descended from Count Stephen of Brittany and accompanied William the Conqueror into England and fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Stephen FitzAirard was the captain of the "Mora," the ship which brought William the Conqueror over from Normandy. His son, Thomas FitzStephen (died 1120) was captain of the ill-fated White Ship (la Blanche-Nef), which sank off Barfleur, Normandy, on 25 November 1120.

There was of course, King Stephen (c. 1097-1154,) King of England (1135-1154); he was the son of Stephen, Count of Blois and Chartres. Robert FitzStephen (d.1183) was a Welsh soldier of Norman descent and one of the leaders of the Norman invasion of Ireland.

William Fitzstephen (fitz Stephen) (died c. 1191) was a cleric and administrator in the service of Thomas Becket.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Gilbert filius Stephani, Lincolnshire; Jordan filius Stephani, Essex; and Richard Stephen, Oxfordshire. Note the Stephani spelling was the Latin form of the name 3

The name is "mostly confined south of a line drawn west from the Wash, being represented in the counties north of that line by Stephenson and Stevenson. Its great home is in Cornwall, and there are secondary centres in Sussex, and in South Wales and in the adjoining English county of Hereford. The name is said to have been introduced after the Conquest. In Cornwall it is of very ancient date, as is evidenced by the family of Stephens of Tregeuna, who, according to Lower, are the descendants of the Stephyns of St. Ives in the. reign of Edward IV., their name being written then in the singular." 4

In Scotland, "Ada filius Stephani was burgess of Elgin in 1286 (REM., 221), Henricus Stephani had a charter of land in Ayr in 1409 (Friars Ayr, p. 43), William Stephani appears as rector of the church of Lestalric in 1418 (CMN., 28), John Stephani was burgess of Forfar in 1434 (RAA., II, 71) and witness in Brechin in 1435. Nichol fitz Steven, chaplain of Scotland, had license to take shipping at London or Dovorre at pleasure in 1372 " 1

Early History of the Stephan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stephan research. Another 211 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1589, 1603, 1628, 1629, 1645, 1647, 1653, 1656, 1659, 1660, 1667, 1669, 1679, 1683, 1718, 1805 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Stephan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stephan Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Stephens, Stevens, Stephen, Steven, Stiven and many more.

Early Notables of the Stephan family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John Stephens of Finglas; Nathaniel Stephens (1589-1660), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1628 and 1653, supporter of the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War; John Stephens (1603-1679), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stephan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stephan Ranking

In the United States, the name Stephan is the 6,514^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5 However, in France, the name Stephan is ranked the 560^th most popular surname with an estimated 8,301 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Stephan family to Ireland

Some of the Stephan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stephan migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Stephan or a variant listed above:

Stephan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ulrich Stephan, who landed in America in 1710 7
Philip Stephan, who landed in America in 1737 7
Susann Stephan, who arrived in Carolina in 1738 7
Jacob Stephan, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 7
Ubrick Stephan, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stephan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Chrestian Stephan, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1828 7
Miss Stephan, who arrived in Brazil in 1828 7
Andreas Stephan, who landed in Ohio in 1835 7
Martin Stephan, who landed in America in 1838 7
Fr Heinr Stephan, who landed in America in 1839 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Stephan (post 1700) +

Robert Taft Stephan (1933-2023), American attorney, 39th Kansas Attorney General (1979-1995)
Doug Stephan, American radio talk show personality
Theodore M. Stephan, American politician, U.S. Consul in Annaberg, 1897; U.S. Vice & Deputy Consul in Bremen, 1898-99 8
Maryland Stephan, American politician, Mayor of Berkley, Michigan, 2008 8
Louis C. Stephan, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 18th District, 1935 8
George Stephan (1862-1944), American politician, U.S. Attorney for Colorado, 1924-29 8
Frederick Stephan, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Ulster County 1st District, 1866 8
Frank L. Stephan, American Republican politician, Idaho State Attorney General, 1927-29 8
Evart P. Stephan, American Republican politician, Mayor of Holland, Michigan, 1921-22 8
Charles H. Stephan, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Vladivostok, 1922; Harbin, 1924; Dairen, 1926; Seoul, 1929-32; Nagoya, 1938; U.S. Consul in Fort William, 1949; Port Arthur, 1949 8
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html