Stepp
A surname that is most likely a nickname or shortened form tied to the word “step,” though its exact origin is not firmly established.
The #3,376 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,207 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Stepp is probably related to Middle English and modern English step, but the exact surname source is not clear from the historical evidence. It may have begun as a nickname, or as a shortened and altered form of a longer name that contained Stepp/Step-. The surviving dictionary references cited here mention the surname but do not explain its derivation.
History
The name is found in English-speaking records and later in the United States. The limited historical citations here show it as an established surname by the 19th century, but they do not provide enough evidence to trace a single secure line of origin. In modern usage it is most often treated as an English-language surname with uncertain etymology.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it is short and ordinary-looking, Stepp can be easy to miss in old record indexes, where it sometimes appears alongside similar surnames like Stephenson and Steptoe.
From the historical record
“tumn of 1859, Mr. Go forth took an active part. In Philadelphia I find also families of Lightfoot, Light- feet, Runner, Streaker, Stepp, Tramp, Geton, GoDowN, Nigh ; also Messrs. Slow, Slowe, Sloman, Stanback, Stayman, Islip, Tagg, and Stopp. One of the most distinguished of the West-Point cadets, in 1857, was…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)