Phoebe
Phoebe or Phœbe is a female name, the feminine form of the male name Phoebus (Φοῖβος), an epithet of Apollo meaning "bright", "shining", and “pure”.
- English
- Greek Mythology
- Biblical
- Biblical Latin
Meaning & Origin of Phoebe
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Phoebe or Phœbe is a female name, the feminine form of the male name Phoebus (Φοῖβος), an epithet of Apollo meaning "bright", "shining", and “pure”.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Greek Mythology
- Biblical
- Biblical Latin
The Story of Phoebe
Phoebe first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 50 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2026: 1,755 births, good for #171 nationwide. About 24% of every Phoebe on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Phoebe ranks #171 for baby girls with 1,755 births, rising sharply (+43% over the past five years). All told, over 45K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Phoebe
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Phoebe. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Phoebe
Phonetically similar names — useful when Phoebe is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Phebe
- Fibi
- Fabi
- Fabby
- Phobie
- Fubby
- Fiba
- Feba
- Fobi
- Freebie
- Furby
- Fubu
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Phoebe
What does the name Phoebe mean?
What is the origin of the name Phoebe?
How popular is Phoebe in 2026?
When was Phoebe most popular?
In which U.S. states is Phoebe most popular?
Is Phoebe a unisex name?
What names go well with Phoebe?
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About the name Phoebe
Phoebe is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 45K births in the dataset. Phoebe's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #171. Use the chart and map above to compare Phoebe's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- 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.