Phyllis

Phyllis: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “green bough”
Origin: Greek
Say it: FIL-is · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

From Greek Phyllis, related to phyllon meaning ‘leaf’. In Greek myth, Phyllis was a Thracian princess; the name later entered English literary use.

Greek names English names Names meaning nature Names meaning tree Classic names Mythological names Literary names

How popular is Phyllis?

20243.9 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 Phyllis in 202413

Peak year1929

Total US babies since 1880323,361

Phyllis is steady now but far below its 1929 peak.

Names like Phyllis

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Sophiawisdom · Greek
Sofiawisdom · Greek
Chloeyoung green shoot · Greek
Zoelife · Greek
Penelopeweaver; duck · Greek
Elenabright, shining light · Greek
Genesisorigin; creation; birth · Greek
Zoeylife · Greek

Phyllis questions

What does the name Phyllis mean?

Phyllis means "green bough". It comes from Greek. From Greek Phyllis, related to phyllon meaning ‘leaf’. In Greek myth, Phyllis was a Thracian princess; the name later entered English literary use.

Is Phyllis a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Phyllis?

13 US babies were named Phyllis in 2024. Its peak year was 1929.

How do you pronounce Phyllis?

Phyllis is usually pronounced FIL-is.

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.