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Summary
- Esteban is the Spanish form of Stephen, and Spanish Bibles such as the Reina-Valera use it in Acts 6 and 7.
- Stephen was one of the seven men chosen to oversee the daily distribution of food in Jerusalem, “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5).
- He was stoned after his speech to the council, praying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60), and is honored as the first Christian martyr.
- The name comes from the Greek stephanos, “crown” or “wreath,” the word the New Testament uses for the victor’s wreath and “the crown of life.”
- Western churches keep Saint Stephen’s feast on 26 December and the Orthodox Church on 27 December.
- Christians named Esteban include Stephen I of Hungary, the Capuchin missionary Esteban de Adoáin and the Chilean priest Esteban Gumucio.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Behind the Name, “Esteban” and “Stephen,” with United States popularity figures from Social Security Administration data and rankings for France. https://www.behindthename.com/name/esteban
- Strong’s Greek 4735 (stephanos) and 4736 (Stephanos), with Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/greek/4735.htm
- Orthodox Church in America, “Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen,” 27 December. https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2026/12/27
- “Saint Stephen,” Wikipedia, on his feast days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Stephen
- “Esteban I de Hungría,” Wikipedia (Spanish). https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esteban_I_de_Hungr%C3%ADa
- “Esteban de Adoáin,” Wikipedia (Spanish). https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esteban_de_Ado%C3%A1in
- “Esteban Gumucio Vives,” Wikipedia (Spanish), and ACI Prensa, “Hacia la beatificación del P. Gumucio,” 22 July 2026. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esteban_Gumucio_Vives
- Scripture quotations: Acts 6:3, 5, 8, 10; 7:51, 56, 58–60; 8:1; 22:20; 1 Corinthians 9:25; James 1:12; Revelation 2:10, English Standard Version. Acts 6:5, Reina-Valera 1960. References: Acts 6:1–15; 7:2–53; 11:19; Matthew 27:29.
