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Stephan Family History

Stephan Name Meaning

German French Dutch and Arabic (Lebanon); Breton (also Stéphan): from the personal name Stephan Stéphan from Latin Stephanus (see Steven ). In France this surname is most common in Brittany and in Alsace. Arabic bearers of this surname are Christians. Americanized form of Slovenian Croatian and Slovak Štefan Polish Stefan ‘Steven’. In North America this surname is also a shortened and altered form of various patronymics and other derivatives from the personal names Stefan and Štefan ‘Steven’ (see Stefan for some Slavic and Greek examples).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Stepan, Stephani, Stephans, Stephanus, Stepka, Stephen, Stefan

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Stephan family from?

You can see how Stephan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Stephan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Stephan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 4 Stephan families living in New York. This was about 33% of all the recorded Stephan's in USA. New York had the highest population of Stephan families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Stephan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Stephan ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Stephan. 15% of Stephan men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Stephan women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Stephan were Carpenter and Housework. .

View Census Data for Stephan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    15%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    9%
  • Teacher
    8%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Housework
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Stephan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 35,000 census records available for the last name Stephan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Stephan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Stephan

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Stephan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Stephan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 39,000 military records available for the last name Stephan. For the veterans among your Stephan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Stephan lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Stephan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Stephan in 1944 was 60, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Stephan

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