Phillip Boy

Popularity: #558 · 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 Phillip originates from the Greek name "Philippos," which is derived from the elements "philos," meaning "loving," and "hippos," meaning "horse." This etymology suggests a literal meaning of "lover of horses." The name was adopted into Latin as "Philippus" and subsequently made its way into Old French as "Philippe," before entering the English language in the form of "Phillip." This linguistic journey reflects the name's deep roots in ancient cultures, particularly in the context of Greek and Roman history. Historically, the name Phillip is notably associated with several significant figures, including Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, who ruled during the 4th century BCE.

The name gained further prominence through its biblical connections, particularly with Saint Philip, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, who is mentioned in the New Testament. The name appears in various translations of the Bible, including the King James Version published in 1611, which helped to solidify its presence in Christian contexts.

Culturally, the name Phillip has been embraced in various traditions, often symbolizing nobility and leadership due to its association with historical monarchs and saints. The name has also been borne by numerous kings and rulers throughout European history, enhancing its stature and resonance in royal lineages.

Additionally, the diminutive form "Phil" has been used in various contexts, providing a familiar and affectionate variant of the name. Overall, Phillip's enduring legacy is marked by its rich historical significance and cultural associations.

Famous people named Phillip

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

We also feature individuals named Phillip 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.

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

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

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

Phillip Adams is a former Australian rules footballer best known for his career with the Adelaide Crows and the Essendon Bombers.

Phillip Bailey is a singer best known for his work with Earth, Wind & Fire and the hit song 'September'.

Phillip Noyce is a film director best known for The Bone Collector, Patriot Games, and Salt.

Phillip Phillips is a singer-songwriter best known for winning American Idol and his hit song 'Home'.

Phillip J. Fry is a fictional character best known as the protagonist of the animated series Futurama.

Fictional characters named Phillip

The following list of fictional characters named Phillip 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.

Phillip is a fictional character from the animated film The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. He is a young lion who becomes a love interest for Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Phillip, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

AlexanderNathanJamesDanielMatthewThomas

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Phillip. 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.

PhelanParkerPaxtonPhineasPerryPhilipsonPhelixPryce

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Phillip was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Phillip has ranked as high as #143 nationally, which occurred in 1960, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, and New York.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Phillip 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 Phillip 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 Phillip.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 425 425 0
2024 453 453 0
2023 455 455 0
2022 514 514 0
2021 559 559 0
2020 553 553 0
2019 569 569 0
2018 666 666 0
2017 727 727 0
2016 707 707 0
2015 762 762 0
2014 798 798 0
2013 870 870 0
2012 884 884 0
2011 779 779 0
2010 864 864 0
2009 927 927 0
2008 1,098 1,098 0
2007 1,175 1,175 0
2006 1,220 1,220 0
2005 1,238 1,233 5
2004 1,325 1,325 0
2003 1,455 1,455 0
2002 1,553 1,553 0
2001 1,716 1,711 5
2000 1,776 1,776 0
1999 1,818 1,818 0
1998 1,887 1,887 0
1997 2,093 2,087 6
1996 2,317 2,309 8
1995 2,518 2,513 5
1994 2,682 2,675 7
1993 3,013 3,003 10
1992 3,383 3,375 8
1991 3,858 3,851 7
1990 4,467 4,454 13
1989 4,747 4,721 26
1988 4,603 4,576 27
1987 4,839 4,813 26
1986 4,738 4,705 33
1985 4,535 4,496 39
1984 4,263 4,234 29
1983 4,507 4,470 37
1982 4,552 4,520 32
1981 4,573 4,539 34
1980 4,669 4,633 36
1979 4,454 4,422 32
1978 4,399 4,362 37
1977 3,991 3,967 24
1976 3,813 3,789 24
1975 3,878 3,853 25
1974 3,963 3,934 29
1973 3,885 3,861 24
1972 3,554 3,532 22
1971 3,875 3,850 25
1970 4,311 4,275 36
1969 4,030 4,006 24
1968 4,005 3,987 18
1967 4,071 4,049 22
1966 4,431 4,402 29
1965 4,907 4,891 16
1964 5,520 5,502 18
1963 5,685 5,655 30
1962 5,909 5,881 28
1961 5,998 5,976 22
1960 6,076 6,047 29
1959 5,621 5,597 24
1958 5,294 5,273 21
1957 5,571 5,544 27
1956 5,438 5,414 24
1955 5,427 5,411 16
1954 5,165 5,149 16
1953 5,113 5,103 10
1952 5,013 5,001 12
1951 4,924 4,910 14
1950 5,079 5,055 24
1949 5,218 5,201 17
1948 5,026 5,018 8
1947 4,800 4,789 11
1946 3,788 3,775 13
1945 3,081 3,081 0
1944 3,010 3,002 8
1943 3,259 3,251 8
1942 3,386 3,373 13
1941 2,879 2,871 8
1940 2,628 2,628 0
1939 2,182 2,175 7
1938 2,163 2,154 9
1937 2,012 2,005 7
1936 1,847 1,847 0
1935 1,790 1,783 7
1934 1,577 1,577 0
1933 1,334 1,328 6
1932 1,327 1,314 13
1931 1,186 1,176 10
1930 1,184 1,175 9
1929 1,037 1,027 10
1928 1,078 1,078 0
1927 1,056 1,040 16
1926 1,029 1,020 9
1925 954 942 12
1924 906 900 6
1923 850 844 6
1922 925 920 5
1921 920 914 6
1920 840 840 0
1919 747 741 6
1918 735 730 5
1917 722 722 0
1916 723 723 0
1915 628 628 0
1914 537 537 0
1913 369 369 0
1912 306 306 0
1911 212 212 0
1910 167 167 0
1909 146 146 0
1908 131 131 0
1907 124 124 0
1906 122 122 0
1905 127 127 0
1904 127 127 0
1903 92 92 0
1902 87 87 0
1901 78 78 0
1900 127 127 0
1899 88 88 0
1898 86 86 0
1897 82 82 0
1896 89 89 0
1895 90 90 0
1894 110 110 0
1893 81 81 0
1892 104 104 0
1891 74 74 0
1890 80 80 0
1889 78 78 0
1888 116 116 0
1887 80 80 0
1886 94 94 0
1885 87 87 0
1884 89 89 0
1883 92 92 0
1882 103 103 0
1881 84 84 0
1880 75 75 0

Top States for Phillip (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
TX 50
12%
CA 29
7%
NC 23
5%
FL 22
5%
GA 21
5%
MI 20
5%
WA 19
5%
IL 16
4%
TN 16
4%
OH 16
4%
NY 14
3%
VA 14
3%
AL 13
3%
OK 12
3%
OR 12
3%
SC 12
3%
IN 11
3%
KY 10
2%
AZ 9
2%
WI 8
2%
MO 8
2%
LA 8
2%
MD 7
2%
CO 7
2%
PA 7
2%
NJ 7
2%
CT 6
1%
AK 6
1%
AR 6
1%
MA 5
1%
MN 5
1%