Steffi
Feminine · “crown or wreath”
Steffi is the German pet form of Stefanie, and one Stefanie made it famous around the world. Steffi Graf of Mannheim won all four Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in 1988, a Golden Slam no other singles player has achieved in a single year.
How old is the name Steffi?
Steffi first appears in US birth records in 1942 — 83 years ago. The typical Steffi alive today was born around 1991, making them about 34 years old. About 500 people named Steffi are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Steffi most popular?
Steffi peaked in 1989, reaching #2986 nationally. See the whole 1989 chart.
Where it comes from
From Greek stephanos to Steffi
The story of Steffi
German builds everyday names by clipping a long name and adding -i: Gabriele becomes Gabi, Susanne Susi, Ursula Uschi, Andreas Andi, and Stefanie Steffi. Stefanie Maria Graf, born in 1969, was Steffi on every scoreboard. In 1988 she won the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open and then took gold at the Seoul Olympics. She went on to win twenty-two Grand Slam singles titles and spent longer ranked first in the world than any other woman.
Meaning
crown or wreath, through Stefanie
Steffi shortens Stefanie, the German spelling of Stephanie, from Greek stephanos, a crown or wreath.
How the name formed
- Greek stephanos
- Stephanie
- Stefanie
- Steffi
Related forms: Stefanie · Stéphanie · Estefanía · Stefania
Pronouncing Steffi
SHTEF-ee
German says SHTEF-ee, with the sh sound German gives to an s before t at the start of a word. Americans usually say STEF-ee.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1942
- Most girls named
- 198936 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2986reached in 1989
- Change vs 2012
- −28.6%5 in 2019, from 7
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Steffi in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Stefanie in German — related form
- Stéphanie in French — related form
- Estefanía in Spanish — related form
- Stefania in Italian — related form
Steffis among us
people named Steffi are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Steffi sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Carried by one of the greatest athletes of her era, so it is recognized at once.
- Short, two syllables, and easy to say in English and German alike.
- Works as a full name or as a short form for a Stephanie.
- It reads as a nickname, and some will assume a longer legal name behind it.
- The Graf association is strong for anyone who followed tennis; it is a flattering one, but it is the first thing many people will mention.
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Steffi
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Steffis are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Steffi are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Steffi in 2025?
- Steffi is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Steffi with classmates?
- Steffi will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More S names
The most-given names starting with S, all years combined.
Susan#1085 · Sarah#90 · Sandra#1207 · Stephanie#557 · Sharon#1250 · Shirley#1581 · Samantha#151 · Sophia#5
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Steffi? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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