Steve
Boy name · #1609 in 2025 · Very rare
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: SSA.
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
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: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.