Philomena Girl

Popularity: #847 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: fi-lo-MEE-nah /fɪləˈmiːnə/

Origin: Greek; Latin

Meaning: Greek: lover of strength; Latin: beloved

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Philomena has its roots in the Greek language, derived from the elements "philos," meaning "loving," and "menos," meaning "strength" or "power." This etymological foundation suggests a literal interpretation of the name as "lover of strength" or "strong love." The name was introduced into Latin as "Philomena," and from there it made its way into various languages, including English, primarily through the influence of Christian traditions and hagiography. Historically, Philomena is associated with a Christian martyr of the early Church, whose story became widely known in the 19th century after the discovery of her relics in the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome.

The exact date of her martyrdom is uncertain, but she is believed to have lived during the 1st century. Her feast day is celebrated on August 11, and she was canonized by Pope Gregory XVI in the 19th century, further solidifying her significance within the Catholic Church.

The name gained prominence through various religious texts and the veneration of saints, particularly in the context of devotion to female saints. Culturally, Philomena has been embraced in various artistic and literary contexts, often symbolizing purity, strength, and resilience.

The name evokes a sense of historical depth and spiritual significance, resonating with themes of love and fortitude. The diminutive form "Philly" has also been used in some cultures, although it is less common.

Overall, Philomena's enduring legacy is closely tied to its religious connotations and the veneration of its namesake, making it a name rich in historical and cultural resonance.

Famous people named Philomena

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

We also feature individuals named Philomena 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.

Philomena Cunk is a comedian and television presenter best known for Cunk on Britain and Cunk on Shakespeare.

Philomena Lee is a philanthropist and author best known for her memoir 'Philomena' which inspired the film of the same name.

Fictional characters named Philomena

The following list of fictional characters named Philomena 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.

Philomena is a fictional character from the film Philomena. She is a woman searching for her son who was taken from her decades earlier, highlighting themes of love and forgiveness.

Sibling suggestions

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

PenelopeFelicityIsadoraCassandraGenevieveMirabelle

Similar names

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

PhilippaMelinaSelenaClementineLunaSeraphinaElenaTatiana

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Philomena has ranked as high as #704 nationally, which occurred in 1922, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

In the past 5 years the name Philomena has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Philomena 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 Philomena 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 Philomena.

Year Total Births Girl
2025 101 101
2024 111 111
2023 80 80
2022 83 83
2021 77 77
2020 86 86
2019 92 92
2018 87 87
2017 92 92
2016 93 93
2015 78 78
2014 67 67
2013 43 43
2012 41 41
2011 41 41
2010 31 31
2009 19 19
2008 24 24
2007 33 33
2006 25 25
2005 23 23
2004 27 27
2003 18 18
2002 17 17
2001 15 15
2000 17 17
1999 20 20
1998 21 21
1997 16 16
1996 15 15
1995 9 9
1994 8 8
1993 7 7
1992 9 9
1991 12 12
1990 5 5
1989 9 9
1988 9 9
1987 6 6
1986 7 7
1985 8 8
1983 12 12
1982 7 7
1981 7 7
1980 7 7
1979 8 8
1978 15 15
1977 9 9
1976 7 7
1975 12 12
1974 11 11
1973 9 9
1972 6 6
1971 18 18
1970 20 20
1969 22 22
1968 14 14
1967 18 18
1966 23 23
1965 24 24
1964 18 18
1963 21 21
1962 31 31
1961 25 25
1960 43 43
1959 46 46
1958 44 44
1957 39 39
1956 62 62
1955 52 52
1954 56 56
1953 64 64
1952 59 59
1951 53 53
1950 59 59
1949 49 49
1948 57 57
1947 57 57
1946 46 46
1945 33 33
1944 48 48
1943 54 54
1942 67 67
1941 71 71
1940 65 65
1939 63 63
1938 81 81
1937 80 80
1936 76 76
1935 79 79
1934 110 110
1933 114 114
1932 133 133
1931 156 156
1930 178 178
1929 226 226
1928 225 225
1927 267 267
1926 261 261
1925 270 270
1924 291 291
1923 299 299
1922 308 308
1921 294 294
1920 270 270
1919 244 244
1918 265 265
1917 290 290
1916 296 296
1915 284 284
1914 207 207
1913 156 156
1912 139 139
1911 109 109
1910 81 81
1909 72 72
1908 96 96
1907 75 75
1906 58 58
1905 73 73
1904 48 48
1903 66 66
1902 47 47
1901 40 40
1900 38 38
1899 47 47
1898 33 33
1897 36 36
1896 34 34
1895 32 32
1894 25 25
1893 24 24
1892 28 28
1891 16 16
1890 21 21
1889 22 22
1888 24 24
1887 9 9
1886 15 15
1885 14 14
1884 10 10
1883 15 15
1882 10 10
1881 11 11
1880 10 10

Top States for Philomena (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 9
17%
IL 8
15%
PA 7
13%
TN 7
13%
FL 6
11%
NY 6
11%
KS 5
9%
NJ 5
9%