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BabyNames
Boy name#162 of boy names

Steve

Pronounced S T IY1 V (ARPABET)

  • 1 syllable
  • Peaked 1959
  • 145 years in use
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How popular is Steve?

Steve is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 242,071 children — the 162nd most common boys' name on record.

It is falling away, down 57% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1959, when 11,067 children were given it.

05,00010,00015,00020,00018901920195019802010
1959Boys: 11,067Girls: 27

Nicknames

Steve is itself a short form of Steven.

Characteristics

  • 1 syllable
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
S T IY1 V
Stress pattern:
1
Syllables:
1

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Steve

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Steve

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Steve?
Steve ranks 162nd among boys' names in US records, with 242,071 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 1,562.
Is Steve a unisex name?
No. Steve is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Steve most popular?
1959, when 11,067 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.