Stephenson is of English origin, derived from the Middle English personal name Stevenson, which consists of two elements: 'stephen' meaning 'crown' or 'garland', and '-son' indicating 'son of'. The name was popular in medieval England due to its association with St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr whose feast day is December 26th. Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne this name, most famously the British engineer Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), known for his contributions to railways and steam engines during the Industrial Revolution. Today, Stephenson remains a distinctive and historic given name with a strong connection to English heritage.
The name Stephenson appears to have been quite popular between the mid-20th century and the early 21st century, with a total of 217 babies named Stephenson born during this period. The years with the highest number of births were 1953 and 1987, each with 13 and 8 births respectively. However, there was also a noticeable decline in popularity over time, with only 5 births recorded in both 2002 and 2014.