Stephen

Stephen or Steven /ˈstiːvən/ is a masculine first name, derived from the Greek name Στέφανος (Stéfanos), 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 contest (from which the crown, symbol of rulers derived). The use of the noun was first recorded in Homer's Iliad. The name is significant to Christians: according to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death and is regarded as the first Christian martyr. The name has many variants, which include Stephan, Stevan, Stefan and Stevon.

In Middle English, the name Stephen or Stephan was pronounced as a bi-syllabic word — Step-hen or Step-han — much like a Scandinavian surname. Steve was pronounced as it is in Modern English. This etymological usage began a decline in the mid-19th century.

Steve is the common short form, while various diminutives such as Stevie and Ste are also used. Many family names are derived from Stephen: the most common are Stephens/Stevens and Stephenson/Stevenson (others include Stephen, Stephan, Staphan, Stefan, Stevin and Stever).

Adam and Joe (radio show)

Adam and Joe is a Sony Award winning radio show on BBC Radio 6 Music presented by Adam and Joe - comedians Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish. The show began in October 2007 and ran for three hours in a Saturday morning slot, originally from 9:00am to 12:00pm before moving to 10:00am to 1:00pm. After a hiatus from 26 December 2009, the series returned for three months on 2 April 2011 on BBC Radio 6 Music. The show also briefly returned in late 2012 with Edith Bowman replacing Joe Cornish as Adam's co-presenter.

History

Filling in for Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington, Adam and Joe first appeared on the London-only radio station XFM in 2003, leading to a series of popular podcasts. They remained at the station for three years, with their final show broadcast on Christmas Eve 2006.

In August 2007, they presented the BBC Radio 6 Music weekday morning slot for two weeks, filling in for Shaun Keaveny. This led to their own Saturday breakfast show, starting 27 October 2007, signed for a 1-year contract. In October 2008, their contract was extended for another year.

Stephen (surname)

Stephen is a surname of Scottish and German origin. It is a reasonably common surname, but is usually found as a first name. The German variant is thought to have originated from the German-speaking world as (Von) Stephan.

Stephen is the 3,845 most common surname in the USA.

MacStèaphain (Scottish Gaelic) Stephen is a sept of the clan MacTavish. It is believed that Stephens from North East Scotland (Morayshire, Banffshire, and Aberdeenshire) south of the Moray Firth are descended from a Viking named Tarben whose longship landed in Banffshire in the late 10th century CE. His name was Christianized to Stephen.

Notable people with the surname

Blum

Blume means flower in German. In English, the name Blum is pronounced /ˈblʌm/, /ˈbluːm/, or /ˈblʊm/.

People

Julius Blum

Julius Blum GmbH (commonly referred to as "Blum") is an international company that produces hinge-, lift- and runner-systems and the appropriate assembly tools for the cabinet making and furniture industry.

Description

Blum is an international manufacturer of furniture hardware. It is a family-owned company based in Höchst, a municipality in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg. Production facilities are mainly located in Austria, but the company also has production plants in the United States, in Poland and in Brazil. Blum supplies furniture manufacturers and hardware distributors in more than 120 countries worldwide. 97% of its products are exported, and its annual turnover is 1,555.7 million euros in 2014/2015.

The company has 6,608 employees, as of June 30, 2015. In Vorarlberg, the company is one of the largest employers with more than 5,000 employees.

History

The company was founded in 1952 by blacksmith Julius Blum in Höchst.

The first product was a horseshoe stud, which averts horses from slipping. Then in 1958, the first furniture hinge was produced. The construction of concealed hinges started in 1964, and this essentially led to the entry into the furniture fittings industry. Today, Blum products are exported to more than 120 countries.