Phebe Girl
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: FEE-bee //ˈfiːbi//
Origin: Greek; Hebrew
Meaning: Greek: shining; Hebrew: bright
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Phebe has its roots in ancient Greek, derived from the word "phōs," meaning "light" or "brightness." In Greek mythology, Phebe was associated with the moon and was one of the Titans, embodying the qualities of brightness and radiance. The name appears in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, where Phebe is mentioned in the Epistle to the Romans, specifically Romans 16:1, as a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae.
This biblical reference, dating to the 1st century CE, significantly contributed to the name's adoption in early Christian communities and its subsequent spread throughout Europe. As the name transitioned into Latin as "Phoebe," it maintained its association with light and brightness.
The Latin form was used in various early Christian texts and became popular in medieval Europe, particularly among Christians who sought names with biblical significance. The name was further popularized through the works of early church fathers and in various translations of the Bible, including the Vulgate, which solidified its presence in Christian nomenclature.
Culturally, Phebe has been associated with qualities such as purity, clarity, and enlightenment, resonating with the symbolic meanings of light. The name has also been linked to various saints and figures in Christian tradition, reinforcing its spiritual significance.
In literature, Phebe appears in works such as Shakespeare's "As You Like It," where the character embodies themes of love and loyalty. The name has a diminutive form, "Phebe," which has been used in various cultures, although its historical significance primarily lies in its original form.
Famous people named Phebe
In this section, you will find notable people named Phebe. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Phebe who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Phebe who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Phebe Ann Thorne is a singer-songwriter best known for her work in the folk music genre.
Phebe C. Smith is a botanist best known for her research on plant taxonomy and ecology.
Fictional characters named Phebe
The following list of fictional characters named Phebe is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
Phebe is a fictional character from the play As You Like It by William Shakespeare. She is a shepherdess who becomes involved in a romantic subplot with the character Silvius.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Phebe, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Phebe. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Phebe was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Phebe has ranked as high as #1301 nationally, which occurred in 2011, and has been most popular in New York, California, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Illinois.
In the past 5 years the name Phebe has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Phebe is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Phebe was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Phebe (2023)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| FL | 5 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Phebe.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 22 |
| 2023 | 34 |
| 2022 | 28 |
| 2021 | 25 |
| 2020 | 30 |
| 2019 | 34 |
| 2018 | 37 |
| 2017 | 29 |
| 2016 | 32 |
| 2015 | 29 |
| 2014 | 37 |
| 2013 | 37 |
| 2012 | 33 |
| 2011 | 45 |
| 2010 | 35 |
| 2009 | 41 |
| 2008 | 33 |
| 2007 | 27 |
| 2006 | 36 |
| 2005 | 41 |
| 2004 | 39 |
| 2003 | 34 |
| 2002 | 29 |
| 2001 | 22 |
| 2000 | 22 |
| 1999 | 21 |
| 1998 | 21 |
| 1997 | 21 |
| 1996 | 23 |
| 1995 | 16 |
| 1994 | 10 |
| 1993 | 11 |
| 1992 | 16 |
| 1991 | 15 |
| 1990 | 15 |
| 1989 | 11 |
| 1988 | 13 |
| 1987 | 14 |
| 1986 | 17 |
| 1985 | 14 |
| 1984 | 10 |
| 1983 | 11 |
| 1982 | 19 |
| 1981 | 14 |
| 1980 | 16 |
| 1979 | 14 |
| 1978 | 20 |
| 1977 | 14 |
| 1976 | 16 |
| 1975 | 16 |
| 1974 | 23 |
| 1973 | 20 |
| 1972 | 12 |
| 1971 | 11 |
| 1970 | 21 |
| 1969 | 26 |
| 1968 | 18 |
| 1967 | 11 |
| 1966 | 15 |
| 1965 | 12 |
| 1964 | 6 |
| 1963 | 13 |
| 1962 | 11 |
| 1961 | 22 |
| 1960 | 13 |
| 1959 | 14 |
| 1958 | 12 |
| 1957 | 15 |
| 1956 | 8 |
| 1955 | 13 |
| 1954 | 18 |
| 1953 | 13 |
| 1952 | 13 |
| 1951 | 13 |
| 1950 | 13 |
| 1949 | 17 |
| 1948 | 19 |
| 1947 | 21 |
| 1946 | 15 |
| 1945 | 13 |
| 1944 | 28 |
| 1943 | 24 |
| 1942 | 16 |
| 1941 | 22 |
| 1940 | 14 |
| 1939 | 16 |
| 1938 | 18 |
| 1937 | 13 |
| 1936 | 18 |
| 1935 | 19 |
| 1934 | 17 |
| 1933 | 22 |
| 1932 | 21 |
| 1931 | 20 |
| 1930 | 27 |
| 1929 | 14 |
| 1928 | 22 |
| 1927 | 23 |
| 1926 | 15 |
| 1925 | 30 |
| 1924 | 33 |
| 1923 | 23 |
| 1922 | 18 |
| 1921 | 33 |
| 1920 | 27 |
| 1919 | 28 |
| 1918 | 34 |
| 1917 | 35 |
| 1916 | 30 |
| 1915 | 23 |
| 1914 | 25 |
| 1913 | 22 |
| 1912 | 19 |
| 1911 | 18 |
| 1910 | 10 |
| 1909 | 8 |
| 1908 | 10 |
| 1907 | 15 |
| 1906 | 10 |
| 1905 | 10 |
| 1904 | 13 |
| 1903 | 11 |
| 1902 | 15 |
| 1901 | 13 |
| 1900 | 22 |
| 1899 | 12 |
| 1898 | 15 |
| 1897 | 18 |
| 1896 | 19 |
| 1895 | 22 |
| 1894 | 8 |
| 1893 | 21 |
| 1892 | 22 |
| 1891 | 24 |
| 1890 | 20 |
| 1889 | 30 |
| 1888 | 17 |
| 1887 | 20 |
| 1886 | 19 |
| 1885 | 32 |
| 1884 | 10 |
| 1883 | 13 |
| 1882 | 25 |
| 1881 | 20 |
| 1880 | 15 |