Variant of Stephanie, from Greek stephanos meaning 'crown' or 'garland.'
Stephani is a streamlined variant of Stephanie, itself the French feminine form of the ancient Greek name *Stephanos* (Στέφανος), meaning crown, wreath, or garland — specifically the laurel or olive wreaths awarded to victors in athletic, poetic, and civic competitions in the ancient Greek world. The name carries within it the full weight of classical achievement and honor; to bear a stephanos was to be publicly recognized as excellent. Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr described in the Acts of the Apostles, bore the masculine form, and his veneration spread the name throughout medieval Christendom, eventually generating feminine variants across European languages.
Stephanie in its various spellings — Stefanie, Stéphanie, Stephani — achieved enormous popularity in the latter half of the twentieth century, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s in France, Germany, and the English-speaking world. The name received a significant boost in France and beyond through Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, whose glamorous and unconventional public persona made the name synonymous with a certain spirited, modern femininity. American television and film culture of the 1980s reinforced its popularity through characters bearing the name in prime-time serials.
The spelling Stephani, dropping the final *e*, gives the name a Continental European feel — evoking Italian, Spanish, or Eastern European naming conventions — while maintaining the name's familiar sound profile. It is a name that manages to feel both thoroughly established and slightly individualized, honoring a long tradition of coronation and achievement while insisting, quietly, on its own particular identity. Those named Stephani often find themselves explaining the spelling, which becomes a small but consistent assertion of distinctiveness.