Philip Name Meaning

The name Philip means “lover of horses.”

Origins of the Name Philip

The name Philip is of Greek origin and means “lover of horses.” It was a common name among early Christians and was the name of several saints, including Philip the Apostle and Philip the Deacon.

Popularity of the Name Philip

Philip has been a popular name in many countries for centuries and remains so today. It has been a top 100 name in the United States for several decades and continues to be a popular choice for parents.

Final Thoughts on the Name Philip

Philip, a name that’s been around for centuries and continues to be a popular choice for parents. Whether you’re a horse enthusiast or just love the sound of the name, Philip is a great choice for parents looking for a classic and timeless name. So, embrace your inner equestrian and make your mark on the world with this classic name!

Infographic of Philip name meaning, which is “A lover of horses,” from the Greek philein (to love) and hippos (a horse).
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Philip Name Popularity

How popular is the name Philip? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 85 367 0.1042%
1911 72 569 0.1528%
1912 69 1,211 0.2401%
1913 69 1,470 0.2593%
1914 67 1,865 0.2676%
1915 68 2,318 0.2551%
1916 69 2,406 0.2491%
1917 66 2,536 0.2535%
1918 70 2,731 0.2545%
1919 71 2,514 0.2401%
1920 71 2,688 0.2418%
1921 72 2,694 0.2353%
1922 70 2,756 0.2474%
1923 70 2,771 0.2474%
1924 71 2,918 0.2513%
1925 75 2,672 0.2364%
1926 70 2,698 0.2453%
1927 74 2,676 0.2418%
1928 73 2,716 0.2538%
1929 76 2,599 0.2509%
1930 75 2,651 0.2538%
1931 71 2,636 0.2671%
1932 70 2,614 0.2646%
1933 71 2,520 0.2705%
1934 69 2,773 0.2869%
1935 64 3,059 0.3148%
1936 63 3,026 0.3141%
1937 61 3,155 0.3202%
1938 64 3,170 0.3097%
1939 66 3,165 0.3111%
1940 60 3,668 0.3451%
1941 52 4,165 0.3701%
1942 54 4,590 0.3635%
1943 57 4,468 0.3422%
1944 60 3,991 0.322%
1945 58 4,102 0.3363%
1946 61 5,092 0.3451%
1947 57 6,234 0.3735%
1948 54 6,161 0.3859%
1949 55 6,222 0.3868%
1950 53 6,071 0.3771%
1951 55 6,095 0.3595%
1952 60 6,151 0.3524%
1953 62 6,275 0.3546%
1954 62 6,274 0.3432%
1955 62 6,159 0.3348%
1956 64 6,103 0.3231%
1957 68 6,008 0.3122%
1958 67 5,825 0.3082%
1959 68 5,849 0.3079%
1960 76 5,512 0.2909%
1961 79 5,285 0.2799%
1962 81 5,062 0.2757%
1963 83 4,757 0.265%
1964 76 4,973 0.2825%
1965 87 4,276 0.2615%
1966 86 3,953 0.2532%
1967 82 3,789 0.2497%
1968 82 3,610 0.2404%
1969 86 3,538 0.2297%
1970 92 3,515 0.2209%
1971 94 3,301 0.2197%
1972 104 2,773 0.2036%
1973 91 2,998 0.2313%
1974 86 2,969 0.2284%
1975 85 2,994 0.233%
1976 89 2,947 0.2287%
1977 90 3,091 0.2293%
1978 84 3,302 0.2456%
1979 83 3,463 0.2456%
1980 82 3,562 0.2436%
1981 84 3,579 0.2435%
1982 79 3,640 0.2436%
1983 82 3,485 0.2362%
1984 81 3,513 0.2362%
1985 84 3,733 0.2459%
1986 86 3,662 0.2426%
1987 84 3,838 0.2515%
1988 94 3,367 0.2161%
1989 101 3,322 0.2059%
1990 111 3,137 0.1893%
1991 120 2,742 0.1682%
1992 138 2,425 0.1519%
1993 146 2,264 0.1452%
1994 168 1,879 0.1224%
1995 179 1,744 0.1157%
1996 185 1,713 0.1144%
1997 195 1,650 0.1116%
1998 215 1,467 0.098%
1999 241 1,299 0.0867%
2000 257 1,281 0.0839%
2001 269 1,192 0.0791%
2002 263 1,179 0.0787%
2003 292 1,030 0.0677%
2004 309 991 0.065%
2005 324 955 0.0625%
2006 342 880 0.0562%
2007 362 849 0.0538%
2008 374 787 0.0509%
2009 390 735 0.0492%
2010 406 654 0.0454%
2011 404 660 0.0463%
2012 404 682 0.0479%
2013 387 734 0.0516%
2014 388 763 0.0524%
2015 433 663 0.0456%
2016 432 670 0.0465%
2017 429 675 0.0484%
2018 432 654 0.0476%
2019 430 661 0.0488%
2020 458 597 0.0469%
2021 450 635 0.0519%
2022 498 569 0.0431%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Philip

If you like Philip, you’ll love these other names like Philip.

What names are diminutives of Philip?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Philip sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Philip, but shorter.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Phil

Horse lover

Greek

Phip

A diminutive form of Philip.

What names are variants of Philip?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Philip.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Felipe

A Spanish form of Philip.

Spanish

Felipo

Horse lover

Greek

Filep

Horse lover

Greek

Filip

Horse lover

Spanish

Filippo

Horse lover

Spanish

Fillip

Horse lover

Spanish

Fyllip

Horse lover

Greek

Phil

Horse lover

Greek

Philipp

Horse lover

Greek

Philippe

Horse lover

Greek

Philippos

Horse lover

Greek

Philippus

Horse lover

Greek

Philips

Horse lover; son of Philip

Greek

Phillip

Horse lover

Greek

Phillips

Horse lover

Greek

Philly

Horse lover

Greek

Phyllip

Horse lover

Greek

Pilipo

Horse lover

Greek

Pip

Horse lover

Spanish

Pippo

Horse lover

Spanish

What names sound like Philip?

If you like how Philip sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Philip.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Felippe

Spanish

Flip

Short form of Phillip; to flip

American, Latin

Welbie

Well-farm

German

Welby

Well-farm

German

Wellby

Well-farm

German

Lists With Philip

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Philip.

Siblings of Philip

Mamas with kids named Philip also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Robert

Bright fame

German

Matthew

Gift of God

Hebrew

Stephen

Crown

English

Maria

Of the sea

Latin

Martin

Of Mars

Latin

Kai

Sea

Polynesian

Maryn

From the sea

Latin

Lily

Lily flower

English

Leo

Lion

Latin

8 Comments

  1. I madly in love with my name Philip

    Reply

  2. He will be a jr and my husband’s name is a Biblical name and he was one of Jes?s’ disciples who was an evangelist.

    Reply

  3. My husband and I named Philip after Philip the Evangelist in the Bible. I appreciated having a Biblical role model as I grew up, so we wanted the same thing for each of our boys.

    Reply

  4. It was my grandfathers name, so it’s special to our family!

    Reply

  5. My daughter picked this name for her baby brother and we love it! It suits him perfectly

    Reply

  6. Philip is not only of the 12 Apostles, and the Prince in Sleeping Beauty, but also the name of my husband’s grandfather. The name means “lover of horses”.
    The only difficulty with this name is no one knows whether to spell it with 1 or 2 L’s!

    Reply

    • Within earshot of me, a so-called friend told someone that only morons spelled the name Philip with two ‘l’s.

      When I reminded him of the spelling of my name, he looked rather sheepish. From that moment on, when writing an email or SMS to him, I always spelled my name with three ‘L’s.

      There are many variations for the spelling of my name in various languages, but in the Anglo Saxon world, Philip is considered correct as it relates to the original Greek spelling. If it is a surname, on the other hand, like Governor Phillip, or Captain Mark Phillips, two ‘L’s are most often used.

      As for me, I like the symmetry of the spelling of my name and the fact that it has 7 letters, not 6. The numeral 7 is a significant one!

      Reply

    • My son’s name, and that was exactly our debate! I wasn’t a fan at first but was won over, and after mulling it over it was the muramutual favorite boy name we agreed on. But then we couldn’t agree on spelling. I wanted one L and my husband said 2. As the tie-breaker, he recalled that it was his grandfather’s name. We asked his mom, and she said he spelled it with 2 L’s, so decision made. Ever since he could talk, he now introduces himself as “Phillip, P-H-I-L-L-I-P” – so cute! ?

      Reply

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