Show ContentsSteven History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German name Steven, 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 Steven family

The surname Steven 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 Steven family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steven 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 Steven History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steven Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Steven include Steffens, Stefens, Steven, Stefan, Steffan, Steffe, Steffen, Stephan, Stoffen, Steffl, Steffensen, Stephansen, Stilfens, Stilphen, Stilphens and many more.

Early Notables of the Steven family

Notable figures of the time with the name Steven 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 Steven Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steven Ranking

In the United States, the name Steven is the 6,378th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


United States Steven migration to the United States +

Since medieval times, the state of Prussia has played an important part in the history of Germany. The state's military powers were historically very strong, and endured until after the Second World War, when the territory was broken up and divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. A spurt of migration followed, with some Prussians going elsewhere in Europe and many others crossing the ocean to North America. Most entered the United States through Philadelphia. Some remained there, while more moved on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others traveled to Canada and settled Ontario and the prairie provinces. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Steven or a variant listed above:

Steven Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Steven, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 2
  • John Steven, who landed in Maryland in 1648 2
  • Richard Steven, who arrived in Virginia in 1651 2
  • Martha Steven, who settled in Virginia in 1670
Steven Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anne Steven, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 2
  • James Steven and Sarah Steven, who settled in North Carolina in 1775
  • Christian Steven, aged 23, who landed in North Carolina in 1775 2
  • Christine Steven, aged 23, who arrived in North Carolina in 1775 2
  • Chrn Steven, aged 23, who landed in New York, NY in 1775 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Steven Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Steven, aged 32, who landed in New York in 1812 2
  • David Steven, who landed in New York, NY in 1834 2
  • Matthias Steven, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1842 2
  • Bern Anton Leopold Steven, who arrived in America in 1849 2

Australia Steven migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Steven Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Norman Steven, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
  • Joseph Steven, aged 39, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Steven (post 1700) +

  • David Steven (1878-1903), Scottish professional footballer
  • Trevor McGregor Steven (b. 1963), English football talent scout from Berwick-upon-Tweed
  • Brett Andrew Steven (b. 1969), New Zealand tennis player from Auckland
  • Lawrence Steven Meyers (1956-2023), American actor and film producer known for his roles in Dick Tracy and Battle Beyond the Stars
  • Clark Steven Scarff (b. 1948), former Australian cricketer who played four first-class matches for Western Australia in 1970
  • Mark Steven Carreon (b. 1963), American Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played from 1987 to 1996
  • Allen Steven Kay (1945-2022), American advertising executive and businessman, best known for creating the television advertisement for Xerox that aired during the 1976 Super Bowl, featuring a monk called Dominic
  • James Steven Griles (b. 1947), American coal lobbyist and the Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Interior
  • J. Steven Svoboda, American patent lawyer who has been an attorney since 1991. He is the founder of the California-based organization, Attorneys for the Rights of the Child
  • David Steven Pickerell (1956-2018), American master distiller from Fairborn, Ohio, considered the "Johnny Appleseed" or "founding father" of craft distilling, known for his whiskey

HMS Hood
  • Mr. Arthur Steven (b. 1901), Scottish Stoker Petty Officer serving for the Royal Navy from Glasgow, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 5


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  4. South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PHOEBE DUNBAR 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/phoebedunbar1852.shtml
  5. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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