Phil is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Phil means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Phil across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Phil has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Phil is a boy name of Greek origin meaning “lover of horses”. A short form of Philip.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 20,108 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 66 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Phil per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1959 (677/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2007 (8/yr).
Phil has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1959, when it ranked #658 nationally (given to 677 babies that year).
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →