Stephenson is a medieval

patronymic surname A patronymic surname is a surname originated from the given name of the father or a patrilineal ancestor. Different cultures have different ways of producing patronymic surnames. For example, early patronymic Welsh surnames were the result of t ...

meaning "son of

Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

". The earliest public record is found in the county of

Huntingdonshire Huntingdonshire (; abbreviated Hunts) is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and a historic county of England. The district council is based in Huntingdon. Other towns include St Ives, Godmanchester, St Neots and Ramsey. The popu ...

in 1279. There are variant spellings including Stevenson. People with the surname include: *

Ashley Stephenson Ashley Stephenson (born November 22, 1982) is a former two-sport athlete from Ontario who played baseball for Canada women's national baseball team and ice hockey in the original NWHL and the CWHL. She won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan Ameri ...

(born 1982), Canadian hockey and baseball player *

(1927–2021), British horticulturalist * Benjamin Stephenson (disambiguation), several people *

Ben Stephenson Benjamin Stephenson is a television executive, formerly controller of drama at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and currently Head of Television at Bad Robot Productions in the United States. Personal life Stephenson attended The H ...

, Anglo-American television executive *

Chandler Stephenson Chandler Stephenson (born April 22, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Washington Capitals organization, who had drafted him in 2012 ...

(born 1994), Canadian ice hockey player * Charles Bruce Stephenson (1929–2001), American astronomer * D. C. Stephenson (1891–1966), American, Ku Klux Klan leader * Debra Stephenson (born 1972), British actress *

Dwight Stephenson Dwight Eugene Stephenson (born November 20, 1957) is an American former professional football player who was a center for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1980 to 1987. He played college football for the Alabama ...

, American football player * Earl Stephenson (born 1947), American baseball pitcher *

Gene Stephenson Gene Stephenson (born August 31, 1945) is an American retired college baseball coach, who served as the head baseball coach at Wichita State from 1978 to 2013. Career When he arrived at Wichita State, he inherited a program that had been dormant ...

, American college baseball coach *

George Stephenson George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was a British civil engineer and mechanical engineer. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victorians In the history of the United Kingdom and the ...

(1781–1848), British mechanical engineer who created Stephenson's Rocket * George Robert Stephenson (engineer) (1819–1905), English civil engineer (nephew of George Stephenson) * Gilbert Stephenson (1878–1972), British Vice Admiral *

Gordon Stephenson Gordon Stephenson (6 June 1908 – 30 March 1997) was a United Kingdom, British-born town planner and architect. He is best known for his role in shaping the modern growth and development of Perth, Western Australia. Biography Gordon Stephens ...

(1908–1997), Australian town planner and architect * Helga Stephenson, Canadian media executive *

Henry Stephenson Henry Stephenson (born Harry Stephenson Garraway; 16 April 1871 – 24 April 1956) was a British actor. He portrayed friendly and wise gentlemen in many films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his roles were Sir Joseph Banks in ''Mutiny on the Bou ...

(1871–1956), British actor *

Isaac Stephenson Isaac Stephenson (June 18, 1829March 15, 1918) was an American politician of the Republican Party who represented Wisconsin as both a United States representative and a United States senator. He was born in the community of Yorkton, near Fre ...

(1829–1918), U.S. politician from Wisconsin * Jim Stephenson, New Zealand international football (soccer) goalkeeper *

John Stephenson (disambiguation) John Stephenson may refer to: Politicians * John Stephenson (MP died 1794) (c. 1709–1794), British merchant and politician *John Gould Stephenson (1828–1883), American politician and Librarian of Congress * John Bernard Stephenson (1938–1982 ...

, people named John Stephenson * June Ethel Stephenson (1914–1999), Australian artist *

Lance Stephenson Lance Stephenson Jr. (born September 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Lincoln High School in the Coney Island section of Brook ...

(born 1990), American professional basketball player * M. F. Stephenson (1801 – after 1878), U.S. assayer of the Dahlonega, Georgia Mint *

Neal Stephenson Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, postcyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work e ...

(born 1959), U.S. author *

Nicola Stephenson Nicola Stephenson (born 5 July 1971) is an English actress. She played the roles of Margaret Clemence in '' Brookside'', Julie Fitzjohn in ''Holby City'', Sarah Williams in '' The Chase'', Allie Westbrook in '' Waterloo Road'', and Tess Harris ...

(born 1971), British actress *

Pamela Stephenson Pamela Helen Stephenson, Lady Connolly (born 4 December 1949) is a New Zealand-born psychologist, writer, and performer who is now a resident in both the United Kingdom and the United States. She is best known for her work as an actress and co ...

(born 1949), New Zealand-Australian comedian, actress and psychologist, also known as Pamela Connolly *

Paul Stephenson (footballer) Paul Stephenson (born 2 January 1968) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger or a central midfielder for Newcastle United, Millwall, Gillingham, Brentford and York City before he ended his career with Hartlepool Un ...

, former British footballer. *

Paul Stephenson (civil rights campaigner) Paul Stephenson OBE (born 6 May 1937) is a community worker, activist and long-time campaigner for civil rights for the British African-Caribbean community in Bristol, England. As a young social worker, in 1963 Stephenson led a boycott of the ...

, British civil rights campaigner. *

Sir Paul Stephenson Sir Paul Robert Stephenson (born 26 September 1953) is a British retired police officer who was the Metropolitan Police Commissioner from 2009 to 2011. Stephenson joined the Lancashire police in 1975 and attended the Bramshill staff training c ...

, former

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Metropolitan Police Commissioner. *

Paul Stephenson (rugby league) Paul Stephenson (born 22 September 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the NRL. Background Stephenson was born in Ne ...

, Australian professional rugby league footballer. *

Riggs Stephenson Jackson Riggs "Warhorse" Stephenson (January 5, 1898 – November 15, 1985) was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed ''Old Hoss'', Stephenson played for the Cleveland Indians from to and the rest of his career from to ...

(1898–1985), U.S. baseball player *

Robert Stephenson Robert Stephenson FRS HFRSE FRSA DCL (16 October 1803 – 12 October 1859) was an English civil engineer and designer of locomotives. The only son of George Stephenson, the "Father of Railways", he built on the achievements of his father ...

(1803–1859), British civil and railway engineer (son of George Stephenson) * Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight (born 1953), U.S. Wikipedia editor * Samuel M. Stephenson (1803–1859), U.S. politician from Michigan * Sean Stephenson (1979–2019), American therapist, writer, and speaker *

Thomas Alan Stephenson Thomas Alan Stephenson FRS (19 January 1898 – 3 April 1961) was a British naturalist, and marine biologist, specialising in sea anemones. Education Stephenson was born at Burnham-on-Sea, the son of a minister and amateur botanist. He soon ...

(1898–1961), British zoologist * Tyler Stephenson (b. 1996), American baseball player *

William Stephenson Sir William Samuel Stephenson (23 January 1897 – 31 January 1989), born William Samuel Clouston Stanger, was a Canadian soldier, fighter pilot, businessman and spymaster who served as the senior representative of the British Security Coord ...

(1897–1989), Canadian soldier, airman, businessman, inventor, and spymaster * William Stephenson (psychologist) (1902–1989), psychologist and physicist *

William Haswell Stephenson Sir William Haswell Stephenson (1836-1918) was an English industrialist, Methodist and philanthropist, and mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne. Personal life Stephenson was born at Throckley, near Newcastle upon Tyne, on 15 May 1836. His family were Me ...

(1836–1918), English industrialist and philanthropist in Newcastle upon Tyne

References

{{surname, Stephenson English-language surnames Patronymic surnames de:Stephenson es:Stephenson fr:Stephenson pt:Stephenson ru:Стефенсон vo:Stephenson Surnames from given names

See also

References