Phillip is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Phillip means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Phillip across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Phillip has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Phillip is a boy name of Greek origin meaning “lover of horses”. a variant spelling of Philip.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 312,891 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,699 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 327 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 43 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 417 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 5,977 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 Phillip per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1960 (6,076/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (184/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1981 (22/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1966 (21/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2000 (7/yr).
Phillip has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1960, when it ranked #143 nationally (given to 6,076 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1960s.
Philip · Philippe · Filip · Philippa · Phillipe · Phillippa · Philipp · Phillp
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