Holding steady.
Popularity of Stedman since 1918
Babies named Stedman per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 12 |
| 1920s | 10 |
| 1930s | 10 |
| 1940s | 0 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 131 |
| 1990s | 162 |
| 2000s | 23 |
| 2010s | 20 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Stedman is an English surname-turned-first name that saw its highest recorded usage in 1989, the peak year for the name. Despite this brief surge, it has never entered the top 1,000 names nationally, remaining a rare choice. The trajectory shows relative stability, with occasional appearances in birth records. As a name derived from a place name or occupational surname, it fits a pattern of using family surnames as first names, popular in the United States. Its obscurity gives it a distinct quality, but without a deep historical tradition as a given name.
Stedman is primarily an English surname that has seen occasional use as a given name. It likely derives from a place name, combining the Old English 'stede' (place, farm) and 'mann' (man), meaning 'man from the farmstead' or 'steward'. The surname Stedman is recorded in medieval England, notably in Somerset and Devon. As a first name, it gained modest popularity in the United States during the late 20th century, peaking in 1989.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Steadman
Sibling names for Stedman
Names that share Stedman's style, for a brother or sister.
