Philip
The story
Philip carries horses in its oldest layers. The Greek Philippos joins words for loving and horse, a meaning that once implied access to the speed, wealth, and military power of the ancient world. Philip II of Macedon wore the name before his son Alexander built an empire, so history placed the horse-lover at the hinge of one of antiquity's largest stories. Christianity carried Philip through an apostle, while European royal houses kept returning it to courts and crowns. The name then split comfortably across languages: Philip in English, Felipe in Spanish and Portuguese, Philippe in French, with Phillip as a familiar double-l spelling. Its American curve has eased, but that is secondary to how much history the name can hold without sounding ornamental. Philip is serious but not severe, classical but still conversational. Phil waits inside for ordinary life. The old horses have vanished from daily experience, yet their energy remains hidden in a name people still say without ceremony.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Philip peaked in the 1950s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
819 people · the #9,511 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 250,000 · median age 28
Among people named Philip living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1990s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 44 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Philip
People given the name Philip in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1950 to 1989. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Philip deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Philip truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Philip fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Philip travels
Chinese American · A documented choice in Chinese American families.
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