Given name & surname
Philemon
“a loving man”
Philemon is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “a loving man.”
Original GreekΦιλημων
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “a loving man.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In English usage, Philemon developed from Φιλήμων.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1916. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Philemon appears in Philemon 1:1, Philemon 1:10.
- Philemon 1:1
- Philemon 1:10
From biblical name research
Philemon through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 925
- 925 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 24 babies
- 2025
- 10
- #8,079 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 10 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 8,079 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 34.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 24 in 2017. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 754 as a first name in 2020; 654 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Philemon’s family of names
In English usage, Philemon developed from the Ancient Greek form Φιλήμων. In English usage, Philemon has a conventional equivalent in the Polish form FILEMON. In German usage, Philemon has a conventional equivalent in the Romanian form FILIMON.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Philemon has relatives in 31 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
14 related names in 31 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Phillemonlikely variant
- Philemovariant · Latin
- Phylamonvariant
- Philamonvariant
- Phylomonvariant
- Philomonvariant
- Phylimonvariant
- Philimonvariant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Across languages 13
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- FilemonPolish, Finnish
- FilimonRomanian
- Φιλήμωνroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- FilemónSpanish
- Filimoniizh
- FilémonWest Frisian
- FilemoniSwahili
- FilemomPortuguese
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See also 6
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Philemon
- Philemon DickinsonAmerican politician1739–1809
- Philemon HollandEnglish schoolmaster, physician, and Classics translator1552–1637
- Philemon WrightCanadian businessman (1760-1839)
- Philemon DickersonAmerican politician (1788-1862)
- Philemon ThomasAmerican politician (1763-1847)
- Philemon BlissAmerican politician (1813-1889)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Philemon, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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>99% boys