Stephen: Name Meaning, Origin, and Bible Story. A flock resting beside still blue water at first light.

Name meaning

Stephen: Meaning, Origin, and the Bible

Greek · crown, or garland · Acts 6:5

Stephen is a Greek name meaning crown, or garland. In the Bible, the first christian martyr bore this name. Below is its true meaning, its story, a verse that fits it, and a blessing.

In the Bible a name is never only a label. It carries a hope, a prayer, or a story, and again and again God Himself gives or changes a name to mark what He is doing in a life. So to ask what a name means is a good and old question, and it deserves an honest answer, not a guess. Here is the real meaning, where it comes from, and where it can lead.

What the name Stephen means

The name Stephen comes from Greek and means crown, or garland. Names like this were chosen with care, often to remember what God had done or to speak a hope over a child, and the meaning has carried down through the generations to the families who give the name today.

Stephen in the Bible

Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, was the first of the seven deacons and the first believer to die for Christ. As they stoned him he saw heaven opened and prayed, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. His name means crown, and he received the crown of life he had confessed. A young man named Saul stood watching.

A verse for Stephen

“And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:”Acts 6:5

A blessing for Stephen

Grace and peace be upon Stephen. May the meaning of this name, crown, be a small window into a large love, and may Stephen come to know the God who is nearer than any name. We ask that Stephen would be guarded, be glad, and be gathered in time to Jesus Christ, the Bread of life, who says there is room for everyone at His table.

Every name points to one Name

Scripture says God has given Jesus a name which is above every name, and that there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Whatever your name means, its deepest hope is met in Him. He knows His own by name, and He calls them to Himself as the Living Bread, the One who satisfies the hunger no name can fill.

Who is Jesus? · The gospel explained · Begin with Jesus

Go deeperPeople of the BibleRead the chapterAll name meanings

Questions people ask

Is Stephen a name in the Bible?

Yes. The first Christian martyr bore the name Stephen in Scripture. You can read the account above; the Bible tells the story plainly and honestly.

What does the name Stephen mean?

Stephen is a Greek name meaning crown, or garland.

What does Stephen mean in Greek?

In Greek, the name Stephen means crown, or garland. That is its genuine root, not a modern guess.

More name meaningsNathanaelThaddaeusTimothyTitus All name meanings
Enter Living Breadprayer, Scripture, a family near you