Steve
Boy name · #1609 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Steve? In official American birth records, Steve has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Steve is currently the #1609 boy name in the United States — 105 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #939, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 17,143 boys born in 2025 was named Steve.
The 145-year story
Steve first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 52 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1959, when 11,068 boys were named Steve — good for #41 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Steve per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Steve against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Steve in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Steve is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Steve will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Steve is most common
State-level data for Steve is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Steve
Steve belongs to the Stephen family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Stephen family went to about 2,244 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #162, versus #1609 for Steve alone.
Names like Steve
Statistically, parents drawn to Steve tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dave, Stevie, Dale, Dwayne, and Monte.
DaveStevieDaleDwayneMonteDuaneMikeBarry
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Steve | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 105 | #1609 |
| 2024 | 99 | #1685 |
| 2023 | 114 | #1539 |
| 2022 | 122 | #1479 |
| 2021 | 135 | #1365 |
| 2020 | 148 | #1250 |
| 2019 | 159 | #1202 |
| 2018 | 167 | #1151 |
| 2017 | 189 | #1056 |
| 2016 | 205 | #993 |
| 2015 | 224 | #939 |
| 2014 | 256 | #863 |
| 2013 | 242 | #872 |
| 2012 | 303 | #754 |
| 2011 | 324 | #707 |
| 2010 | 279 | #785 |
| 2009 | 415 | #611 |
| 2008 | 422 | #595 |
| 2007 | 448 | #573 |
| 2006 | 472 | #535 |
| 2005 | 475 | #518 |
| 2004 | 484 | #505 |
| 2003 | 563 | #443 |
| 2002 | 545 | #451 |
| 2001 | 624 | #401 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Steve?
In official American birth records, the name Steve first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 52 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Steve a popular boy name?
Steve ranked #1609 among boys in 2025 with 105 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #939.
When was the name Steve most popular?
Steve peaked in 1959, when 11,068 American boys received the name (ranked #41 that year). Since 1959 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Steve?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 17,143 newborn American boys was named Steve. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.