Phil

Phil: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “friend; beloved”
Origin: Greek
Say it: FIL · 1 syllable
Used for: Boys

Short form of Philip, Phillip, or related names from Greek Philippos, literally 'lover of horses'. As an independent short form, Phil reflects the first Greek element meaning 'friend, loving'.

English names Greek names Names meaning love Short names Classic names

How popular is Phil?

20241.8 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Phil in 20246

Peak year1947

Total US babies since 188020,098

Phil is steady now but far below its 1947 peak.

Names like Phil

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Philiplover of horses · Greek
Philliplover of horses · Greek
Felipelover of horses · Greek
Theodoregift of God · Greek
Sebastianfrom Sebaste · Greek
Alexanderdefender of men · Greek
Lukefrom Lucania · Greek
Christopherbearer of Christ · Greek

Phil questions

What does the name Phil mean?

Phil means "friend; beloved". It comes from Greek. Short form of Philip, Phillip, or related names from Greek Philippos, literally 'lover of horses'. As an independent short form, Phil reflects the first Greek element meaning 'friend, loving'.

Is Phil a boy or girl name?

Phil is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Phil?

6 US babies were named Phil in 2024. Its peak year was 1947.

How do you pronounce Phil?

Phil is usually pronounced FIL.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.