Given name
Phoebe
“bright”
Phoebe is a feminine given name from Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek. It is used in English and Cebuano.
Original GreekΦοίβη
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
The story
In mythological stories, Phoebe is a name for the goddess of the moon.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Phoebe appears in Romans 16:1.
From biblical name research
Phoebe through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 43,663
- 5 boys · 43,658 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 1,885 babies
- 2025
- 1,885
- #157 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +43%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,885 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 157 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 43.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (187). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 28,467 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.
Phoebe’s family of names
In English usage, Phoebe has a diminutive in Phoebs. Phoebe has a related form in Phebe. In English usage, Phoebe has a conventional equivalent in the Italian form Febe.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Phoebe has relatives in 7 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
7 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Phebevariant
- Pheobevariant
- Phebeevariant
- Phoebeevariant
- Phebievariant
- Phoebievariant
- Phoebivariant
- Phoebsdiminutive · English
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Phoebe
- Phoebe TonkinAustralian actress (born 1989)
- Phoebe Waller-BridgeEnglish actress, screenwriter and producer (born 1985)
- Hertha AyrtonEnglish electrical engineer (1854–1923)
- Phoebe BridgersAmerican musician (born 1994)
- Phoebe CatesAmerican actress, model, and entrepreneurborn 1963
- Phoebe DynevorEnglish actressborn 1995
- Phoebe SnowAmerican singer, songwriter and guitarist (1950–2011)
- Phoebe FoxBritish actressborn 1987
- Phoebe HearstAmerican philanthropist, feminist and suffragist (1842–1919)
Characters named Phoebe: Phoebe Buffay (Friends), Phoebe Halliwell (Charmed).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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