Phillip

Phillip: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “lover of horses”
Origin: Greek
Say it: FIL-ip · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

Variant spelling of Philip, from Greek Philippos, combining philos 'friend, lover' and hippos 'horse.' The form Phillip is less traditional than Philip but long established in English use.

English names Greek names Names meaning love Names meaning animal Classic names Biblical names International names

How popular is Phillip?

2024135 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 Phillip in 2024450

2024 rank#626 boys

Peak year1949

Total US babies since 1880312,450

Phillip is fading: recent use is about 66% of its level ten years before.

Names like Phillip

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

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

Phillip questions

What does the name Phillip mean?

Phillip means "lover of horses". It comes from Greek. Variant spelling of Philip, from Greek Philippos, combining philos 'friend, lover' and hippos 'horse.' The form Phillip is less traditional than Philip but long established in English use.

Is Phillip a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Phillip?

450 US babies were named Phillip in 2024. Its peak year was 1949.

How do you pronounce Phillip?

Phillip is usually pronounced FIL-ip.

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.