Phineas
Phineas is a masculine given name, an Anglicized name for the priest Phinehas in the Hebrew Bible. It may refer to:
Meaning & Origin of Phineas
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Phineas is a masculine given name, an Anglicized name for the priest Phinehas in the Hebrew Bible. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Phineas
Phineas first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 142 Phineass were born — ranking #1,279 that year. As of 2026, Phineas ranks #1,657 for baby boys with 103 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 3K Phineass have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Phineas
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Phineas Banning (1830–1885), American businessman and entrepreneur
- P. T. Barnum (1810–1891), American showman and businessman
- Phineas Bowles (died 1722) , British Army major-general
- Phineas Bowles (1690–1749) , British Army lieutenant-general and Member of Parliament; son of the above
- Phineas F. Bresee (1838–1915), American founder of the Church of the Nazarene
- Phineas Bruce (1762–1809), American politician
- Phineas Clanton (1843–1906), American Old West cattle rustler and brother of outlaws Billy and Ike Clanton
- Phineas Davis (1792–1835), American clockmaker and inventor who designed and built the first practical American coal-burning locomotive
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Phineas
Phonetically similar names — useful when Phineas 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 Phineas
What does the name Phineas mean?
How popular is Phineas in 2026?
When was Phineas most popular?
In which U.S. states is Phineas most popular?
Is Phineas a unisex name?
What names go well with Phineas?
About the name Phineas
Phineas is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Phineas's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #909. Use the chart and map above to compare Phineas's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all boy 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.