Philip is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Philip means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Philip across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Philip has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Philip is a boy name of Greek origin meaning “lover of horses”. the name of an apostle.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 345,173 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 4,934 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 2,491 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 429 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 8,816 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 7,036 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 Philip per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1953 (6,288/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (481/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1980 (336/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1976 (140/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (65/yr).
Philip has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1953, when it ranked #128 nationally (given to 6,288 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Phillip · Philippe · Filip · Philippa · Phillipe · Phillippa · Philipp · Phillp
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