Given name & surname
Phillip
“one who loves horses”
Phillip is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “one who loves horses.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “one who loves horses.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Phillip through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 312,891
- 311,561 boys · 1,330 girls
- Most popular year
- 1960
- 6,076 babies
- 2025
- 425
- #651 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −25%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 425 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 651 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 25.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 6,047 in 1960. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (38). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 216,746 as a first name in 2020; 6,901 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.
Phillip’s family of names
In English usage, Phillip has a diminutive in PHILL. Phillip has a surname derivative in PHILLIPSON. In Middle English usage, Phillip has a related form in Philip.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Phillip has relatives in 27 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
23 related names in 27 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 20
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 27
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Feliperelated form · Spanish, Portuguese
- FilippoItalian
- FilipePortuguese
- Filipposequivalent
- Phillippequivalent
- Filippequivalent
- FillipSwedish, Norwegian
- Пилипequivalent
Show 19 moreShow fewer
- Філіпequivalent
- Φίλιπποςequivalent
- Pylypequivalent
- Піліпequivalent
- Phylipequivalent
- Филипеequivalent
- Phillipson“son of” surname · English
- Vilppurelated form
- Filipsequivalent
- FülöpHungarian
- ФилипSerbian, Bulgarian
- FilibScots
- ФилиппRussian
- FelipCatalan
- FilippusIcelandic, Finnish
- VilippuFinnish
- HilippuFinnish
- HilippäFinnish
- FilippäFinnish
People named Phillip
- Jim PeeblesCanadian-American astronomer & Nobel Laureate in Physicsborn 1935
- Phillip CocuDutch association football player and managerborn 1970
- CM PunkAmerican professional wrestler, actor, and retired mixed martial artistborn 1978
- Phillip Allen SharpAmerican biologistborn 1944
- Phil McGrawAmerican television personality (born 1950)
- Brad BirdAmerican film director, animator, screenwriter and producer (born 1957)
- Phil Bardsleyassociation football player (born 1985)
- Phill LewisAmerican actor, comedian and director (born 1968)
- Phillip HughesAustralian cricketer (1988-2014)
Characters named Phillip: Phil Coulson (the Marvel Cinematic Universe).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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