NameRealm
Phoenix

Phoenix: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“dark red”
Origin
Greek
Say it
FEE-niks · 2 syllables
Used for
Both (40% girls, 60% boys since 1880)

From Greek phoinix, originally referring to the purple-red color and later the mythical phoenix bird. As a given name it draws strongly on the mythological bird symbolism.

Greek namesEnglish namesNames meaning fireNames meaning birdMythological namesModern namesInternational names

How popular is Phoenix?

2024589 per million US babies
1880192019602000
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.

Babies named Phoenix in 20241,961

2024 rank#275 boys

Peak year2020

Total US babies since 188039,000

Phoenix is rising: use over the last five years is 1.9× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Phoenix

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Angelmessenger · Greek
  • Onyxclaw; black gemstone · Greek
  • Oceanocean, great sea · Greek
  • Parisuncertain meaning · Greek
  • Cleoglory · Greek
  • IndigoIndian dye, indigo blue · Greek
  • Psalmsacred song · Greek
  • Zephyrwest wind · Greek

Phoenix questions

What does the name Phoenix mean?

Phoenix means "dark red". It comes from Greek. From Greek phoinix, originally referring to the purple-red color and later the mythical phoenix bird. As a given name it draws strongly on the mythological bird symbolism.

Is Phoenix a boy or girl name?

Phoenix is used for both: about 40% of US babies named Phoenix since 1880 were girls.

How popular is Phoenix?

1,961 US babies were named Phoenix in 2024. Its peak year was 2020.

How do you pronounce Phoenix?

Phoenix is usually pronounced FEE-niks.

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.