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Philip

boy name
Origin
Greek
Syllables
2
Peak era
1950s
Today
▬ Steady

Torn between Philip and another name? Compare them side by side →

Meaning

means 'lover of horses', from Greek philos (love) and hippos (horse)

Goes by Flip, Phil, Pip. See all nicknames

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.

More names with stories →

How popular is Philip around the world?

In the United States, 3,713 babies were named Philip between 2020 and 2025. In Norway, 72 boys were given the name Philip in 2025.

Philip is on the official records of the United States, Norway, Austria, Ireland, Canada, England and Wales, South Australia, Scotland, Poland, Spain, France, Argentina, Chile and Brazil.

United States

1 in 5,900

In the United States, 3,713 babies were named Philip between 2020 and 2025.

1890speak 1950s2020s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Philip peaked in the 1950s.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

Norway

1 in 390 · register 2026

In Norway, 72 boys were given the name Philip in 2025.

1945peak 2013

share of the boys on the register for that year, SSB’s own figure

People who have or have had a Norwegian ID number, emigrants left out, from Statistics Norway’s name statistics (release of January 2026): by year of birth for 1945–2020 (everyone born that year who was ever registered in Norway, including people who registered later and people who have since died) and by year of naming from 2021; only first names carried by 200 or more living people are listed, counts under 4 are withheld, and SSB merges spellings that differ only by letters outside the Norwegian alphabet. The shares are SSB’s own, of the people of that sex and year in that count; the 2025 figure counts the children named that year, and no year is a count of births. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 10467 (updated 2026-01-28)

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Austria

1 in 3,300

In Austria, 23 boys named Philip were born in 2025, the 250th most common name among boys that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

1984peak 19952025

share of that year’s births on record

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

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Ireland

1 in 3,900

In Ireland, 14 boys named Philip were born in 2025, the 309th most common name among boys that year.

peak 19782025

share of that year’s name registrations

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

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Canada

1 in 5,800

In Canada, 63 boys named Philip were born in 2024, the 479th most common name among boys that year.

peak 19932024

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

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England and Wales

1 in 8,200

In England and Wales, 71 boys named Philip were born in 2025, the 549th most common name among boys that year.

peak 19962025

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

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South Australia

1 in 9,200 · 2017

In South Australia, 2 boys were registered as Philip in 2017.

peak 19532017

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

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Scotland

1 in 11,000

In Scotland, 4 boys named Philip were registered in 2024, the 619th most common name among boys that year.

peak 19762024

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

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Poland

1 in 41,000

In Poland, 6 boys named Philip were born in 2025, the 419th most common name among boys that year.

2000peak 20142025

share of that year’s name registrations

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

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Spain

1 in 83,000

In Spain, 541 residents are named Philip, ranked 2,173rd among men, with a mean age of 51.1 years.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

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France

1 in 130,000

In France, about 5 boys named Philip were born in 2025, ranked 6,440th among boys that year.

1900peak 19572025

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

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Argentina

1 in 130,000

In Argentina, 5 newborns were given the name Philip in 2024.
The count never rose above 5 in a year, too few to chart.

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

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Chile

1 in 180,000

In Chile, 1 boy was registered as Philip in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.

1920peak 19902021

share of that year’s name registrations

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

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Brazil

1 in 250,000

At the 2022 census, 819 people in Brazil were named Philip, ranked 9,511th, with a median age of 28.
Among people named Philip living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1990s than in any other decade.

1950speak 1990s2010s

people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth

The census also counted 44 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

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Mexico City City

last on record 2021

Philip is not on the 2022 record for Mexico City, where small counts are withheld at source.
The count never rose above 9 in a year, too few to chart.

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023, a partial extract through 3 Mar with no cell on record for this name, is excluded. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

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Montevideo City

last on record 2009

Philip is not on the 2011 record for Montevideo, whose registry withholds nothing, so the spelling was not given there that year.
The count never rose above 2 in a year, too few to chart.

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

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New South Wales

outside the top 100

Philip is not in the 2025 top 100 for New South Wales.

peak 19532025

share of that year’s top-100 registrations

New South Wales (not all of Australia) publishes only each year’s 100 most popular names per sex, so a missing year means below that top 100, not rare. Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, popular baby names

See the full list for New South Wales →

New Zealand

last on record 2011

Philip is not on the 2025 record for New Zealand, where names under 10 in a year are excluded at source.

1900peak 19522025

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time

See the full list for New Zealand →

Not on the record in Puerto Rico: that registry withholds small counts, so rare uses may sit below its floor.

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

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.

Names that fit alongside Philip

Nicholas Luke Angelo Stephen George James

Where Philip travels

Chinese American · A documented choice in Chinese American families.

Keep exploring

Nicknames for Philip · Chinese American baby names

Name trails: explore connections from Philip →

The Philip deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

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.

Both reports, explained →

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