Philomena
Philomena was a young woman believed by some to have been a Christian martyr.
- English
- German
- Ancient Greek
Meaning & Origin of Philomena
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Philomena was a young woman believed by some to have been a Christian martyr.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- German
- Ancient Greek
The Story of Philomena
Philomena first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 10 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1922: 308 births, good for #371 nationwide. About 27% of every Philomena on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Philomena ranks #1,906 for baby girls with 105 births, gradually rising (+10%). All told, over 10K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Philomena
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Philomena. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Philoumene
Names that sound like Philomena
Phonetically similar names — useful when Philomena 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 Philomena
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About the name Philomena
Philomena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. Philomena's peak popularity came in 1922 when it ranked #355. Use the chart and map above to compare Philomena's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1922 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.