Stefano
Meaning
crown (Italian form of Stephen)
The story
Stefano is the Italian form of Stephen, and the Greek underneath is one of the prettiest etymologies in the book. Behind the Name reads Stephanos as crown or wreath, more precisely that which surrounds, the circlet rather than the jewels. The first bearer of consequence was Saint Stephen, the deacon remembered as the first Christian martyr. In the United States, Stefano is a quiet but persistent Italian signature. The Social Security record shows small numbers early in the century, no recorded five in the 1930s or 1940s, then a steady build: 155 boys in the 1960s, 378 in the 1980s, 734 in the 1990s. The 2020s stand at 341 so far, already more than half the full 2010s count of 570 with years remaining. Brazil's census counts 3,002 bearers with a median age of 31, most of them from the same era as the American climb. The crown travels well.
Stefano around the world
One shared root links 11 names across 5 languages.
Shared root: from Greek stephanos "crown, garland"
The constellation
More branches
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Stefano peaked in the 2000s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
3,002 people · the #3,895 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 66,667 · median age 31
Among people named Stefano living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1990s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 92 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Stefano
Most people given the name Stefano in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Stefano deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Stefano truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Stefano fits with your family’s names and surname.
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