Philip Boy

Popularity: #471 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: FIL-ip //ˈfɪlɪp//

Origin: Greek; Latin

Meaning: Greek: lover of horses; Latin: friend of horses

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Philip originates from the Greek name 'Philippos', which is composed of the elements 'philos', meaning 'loving', and 'hippos', meaning 'horse'. This etymological root reflects a literal meaning of 'lover of horses'.

The name was adopted into Latin as 'Philippus' and subsequently made its way into Old French before entering the English language in the form of 'Philip'. The name has been used in various forms across different cultures, maintaining its core meaning throughout its evolution.

Historically, the name Philip has significant milestones, particularly in the context of notable figures. One of the earliest and most prominent bearers was Philip II of Macedon, who reigned in the 4th century BCE and was the father of Alexander the Great.

The name also appears in the New Testament, where Philip is one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, further solidifying its importance in Christian tradition. The name gained additional prominence through various saints, including Saint Philip, who is recognized in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions.

Culturally, the name Philip has resonated through various historical contexts, often associated with nobility and leadership. It has been borne by numerous kings and rulers across Europe, including Philip I of France and Philip II of Spain, which contributed to its enduring legacy.

The name has also inspired various diminutive forms, such as Phil and Pip, which have been used affectionately in different cultures. Overall, Philip embodies a rich historical and cultural significance that has allowed it to persist through the centuries.

Famous people named Philip

In this section, you will find notable people named Philip. 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 Philip who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Philip 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.

Philip Seymour Hoffman was an actor best known for Capote, The Master, and Doubt.

Philip Glass is a composer best known for Einstein on the Beach, Koyaanisqatsi, and The Hours.

Philip K. Dick was an author best known for Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Man in the High Castle, and A Scanner Darkly.

Philip Pullman is an author best known for His Dark Materials trilogy, The Golden Compass, and Northern Lights.

Philip Rivers is a former professional football player best known for his time with the San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.

Philip Bailey is a musician best known for being a member of Earth, Wind & Fire and for the hit song.

Fictional characters named Philip

The following list of fictional characters named Philip 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.

Philip J. Fry is a fictional character from the animated television series Futurama. He is a slacker who is accidentally frozen and wakes up in the 31st century, where he navigates a new world with his friends.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Philip, 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 Philip. 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 Philip was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Philip has ranked as high as #128 nationally, which occurred in 1953, and has been most popular in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

In the past 5 years the name Philip has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Philip 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 Philip was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

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 Philip.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 568 568 0
2024 588 588 0
2023 605 605 0
2022 619 619 0
2021 675 675 0
2020 658 658 0
2019 696 696 0
2018 693 693 0
2017 729 729 0
2016 712 712 0
2015 708 708 0
2014 799 799 0
2013 769 769 0
2012 715 715 0
2011 696 696 0
2010 699 699 0
2009 765 765 0
2008 817 817 0
2007 881 881 0
2006 909 909 0
2005 993 993 0
2004 1,019 1,019 0
2003 1,075 1,075 0
2002 1,201 1,201 0
2001 1,221 1,221 0
2000 1,312 1,312 0
1999 1,326 1,326 0
1998 1,499 1,499 0
1997 1,661 1,661 0
1996 1,730 1,725 5
1995 1,757 1,757 0
1994 1,903 1,896 7
1993 2,270 2,270 0
1992 2,439 2,434 5
1991 2,759 2,749 10
1990 3,153 3,143 10
1989 3,345 3,330 15
1988 3,394 3,373 21
1987 3,859 3,837 22
1986 3,690 3,665 25
1985 3,771 3,735 36
1984 3,538 3,519 19
1983 3,507 3,488 19
1982 3,667 3,642 25
1981 3,611 3,581 30
1980 3,583 3,563 20
1979 3,482 3,460 22
1978 3,317 3,298 19
1977 3,109 3,093 16
1976 2,963 2,943 20
1975 3,031 3,011 20
1974 2,985 2,967 18
1973 3,012 2,997 15
1972 2,786 2,776 10
1971 3,318 3,302 16
1970 3,538 3,520 18
1969 3,553 3,540 13
1968 3,642 3,622 20
1967 3,802 3,786 16
1966 3,966 3,954 12
1965 4,288 4,278 10
1964 4,990 4,977 13
1963 4,774 4,757 17
1962 5,079 5,069 10
1961 5,307 5,288 19
1960 5,519 5,509 10
1959 5,880 5,862 18
1958 5,842 5,832 10
1957 6,028 6,012 16
1956 6,105 6,105 0
1955 6,174 6,162 12
1954 6,284 6,279 5
1953 6,288 6,279 9
1952 6,163 6,154 9
1951 6,106 6,098 8
1950 6,082 6,070 12
1949 6,241 6,224 17
1948 6,174 6,162 12
1947 6,244 6,235 9
1946 5,107 5,093 14
1945 4,125 4,112 13
1944 3,992 3,992 0
1943 4,487 4,473 14
1942 4,616 4,604 12
1941 4,175 4,166 9
1940 3,681 3,674 7
1939 3,187 3,174 13
1938 3,182 3,172 10
1937 3,177 3,162 15
1936 3,048 3,033 15
1935 3,069 3,064 5
1934 2,789 2,784 5
1933 2,543 2,530 13
1932 2,640 2,625 15
1931 2,658 2,648 10
1930 2,674 2,655 19
1929 2,623 2,606 17
1928 2,745 2,726 19
1927 2,702 2,677 25
1926 2,727 2,708 19
1925 2,685 2,675 10
1924 2,933 2,921 12
1923 2,800 2,783 17
1922 2,784 2,769 15
1921 2,714 2,703 11
1920 2,713 2,700 13
1919 2,537 2,531 6
1918 2,746 2,733 13
1917 2,552 2,544 8
1916 2,416 2,409 7
1915 2,337 2,328 9
1914 1,870 1,870 0
1913 1,492 1,484 8
1912 1,237 1,237 0
1911 612 612 0
1910 425 418 7
1909 401 395 6
1908 319 319 0
1907 356 356 0
1906 280 280 0
1905 234 234 0
1904 266 266 0
1903 250 250 0
1902 226 226 0
1901 232 232 0
1900 259 259 0
1899 223 223 0
1898 244 244 0
1897 200 200 0
1896 224 218 6
1895 211 211 0
1894 214 214 0
1893 208 208 0
1892 239 239 0
1891 198 198 0
1890 192 192 0
1889 183 183 0
1888 196 196 0
1887 161 161 0
1886 187 187 0
1885 163 163 0
1884 161 161 0
1883 166 166 0
1882 182 182 0
1881 156 156 0
1880 186 186 0

Top States for Philip (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 50
9%
TX 50
9%
NY 46
9%
VA 29
5%
FL 29
5%
IL 29
5%
OH 27
5%
PA 21
4%
NC 20
4%
NJ 19
4%
GA 18
3%
WA 16
3%
IN 16
3%
MA 15
3%
MD 15
3%
MI 15
3%
LA 13
2%
MO 11
2%
UT 9
2%
WI 9
2%
IA 9
2%
CO 9
2%
TN 9
2%
AL 9
2%
OR 8
1%
MN 8
1%
KS 8
1%
SC 7
1%
AZ 5
1%
OK 5
1%
ND 5
1%