Stephenson
Overview
 
Stephenson is a medieval patronymic
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...

 surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...

 meaning "son of Stephen
Stephen
Stephen or Steven is a masculine first name, derived from the Greek name Στέφανος meaning "crown, garland", in turn from the Greek word "στέφανος", meaning "wreath, crown, honour, reward", literally "that which surrounds or encompasses". In ancient Greece a wreath was given to the winner of a...

". The earliest public record is found in the county of Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...

 in 1279. There are variant spellings including Stevenson
Stevenson
Stevenson is an English language patronymic surname meaning "son of Steven". Its first historical record is from pre 10th century England. People with the name include:* Alexandra Stevenson , U.S. tennis player...

. People with the surname include:
  • D. C. Stephenson
    D. C. Stephenson
    David Curtiss "Steve" Stephenson was an American Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in the U.S. state of Indiana and 22 other Northern states. He is considered to have been one of the most successful Klan leaders up until his downfall after his conviction for murder...

     (1891–1966), American, Ku Klux Klan leader
  • Debra Stephenson
    Debra Stephenson
    Debra Stephenson is an English actress, comedian, impressionist and singer.-Career:At the age of fourteen Stephenson appeared on BBC TV's Opportunity Knocks, winning her way through to the All-Winners' Final, broadcast live from the London Palladium...

     (b. 1972), British actress
  • Earl Stephenson
    Earl Stephenson
    Chester Earl Stephenson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The left-hander was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 3rd round of the 1967 amateur draft and played for the Cubs , Milwaukee Brewers , and Baltimore Orioles .Stephenson made his major league debut in relief on April 7, 1971...

     (b. 1947), American baseball pitcher
  • George Stephenson
    George Stephenson
    George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...

     (1781–1848), British mechanical engineer who created Stephenson's Rocket
  • George Robert Stephenson (engineer)
    George Robert Stephenson (engineer)
    George Robert Stephenson was a British civil engineer.Stephenson was born to Robert Stephenson Senior in Newcastle upon Tyne...

     (1819–1905), English civil engineer (nephew of George Stephenson)
  • Gilbert Stephenson
    Gilbert Stephenson
    Sir Gilbert Owen Stephenson CMG CB KBE DL was a British Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy, a pioneer of anti-submarine techniques in World War I, and most famous as an important Naval training commandant during World War II....

     (1878–1972), British Vice Admiral
  • Gordon Stephenson
    Gordon Stephenson
    Gordon Stephenson was a British-born town planner and architect. He is best known for his role in shaping the modern growth and development of Perth, Western Australia.-Early career:...

     (1908–1997), town planner and architect in Perth, Australia
  • Henry Stephenson
    Henry Stephenson
    Henry Stephenson , sometimes credited as Harry Stephenson, was a British character actor....

     (1871–1956), British actor
  • Isaac Stephenson
    Isaac Stephenson
    Isaac Stephenson was an American politician of the Republican Party who represented Wisconsin as both a United States Representative and a United States Senator....

     (1829–1918), U.S.
 
x
OK