Boy · #525 in 2026

Philip

Name: Popularity of the name Philip in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Philip, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Greek Φιλιππος, from a compound of φίλος and ἵππος. Prominent Philips who popularized the name include kings of Macedonia and one of the apostles of early Christianity.

Current Rank

#525

Peak Rank

#52 (1953)

Total Babies

345K

5-Yr Trend

-14%

1896

First Year

1996

Last Year

1985

Peak Year

#2657

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Philip

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Philip

Philip first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 186 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1953, when 6,279 Philips were born — ranking #61 that year. As of 2026, Philip ranks #525 for baby boys with 568 births, gradually falling (-14%). In total, more than 345K Philips have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Philip

Phonetically similar names — useful when Philip is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Philip

What does the name Philip mean?

How popular is Philip in 2026?

In 2026, Philip ranks #525 among boys' names in the U.S., with 568 babies given the name that year.

When was Philip most popular?

Philip reached its peak popularity in 1953, ranking #52 that year with 6,279 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Philip most popular?

Philip has historically been most popular in Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Philip.

Is Philip a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Philip is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Philip?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Philip include Edwin, Lester, Harrison. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Philip

Philip is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 345K births in the dataset. Philip's peak popularity came in 1953 when it ranked #52. Use the chart and map above to compare Philip's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.