Given name
Philly
“a friend of horses”·“one who offers sisterly love”·“one who loves horses”
In English use, Philly is a diminutive of Philippa. In English use, Philippa carries the interpretation “a friend of horses.” Philly is a variant of Philadelphia. One Greek interpretation is “one who offers sisterly love.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Philly is a diminutive of Philippa. In English use, Philippa carries the interpretation “a friend of horses.” Philly is a variant of Philadelphia. One Greek interpretation is “one who offers sisterly love.” Philly is a variant of Phillip. One Greek interpretation is “one who loves horses.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Philly is a variant of Philadelphia. An origin associated with Philadelphia is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Philly is a diminutive of Philippa.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1995. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Philly through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 5
- 5 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1995
- 5 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1995. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 149 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Philly’s family of names
In English usage, Philly is a diminutive of Philippa. Philly has a related form in Phillip. Philly has a related form in Philadelphia.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
Similar names
If you love Philly, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.