Holding steady.
Popularity of Phillips since 1904
Babies named Phillips per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1949, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Phillips's real moment was 1909.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 13 |
| 1910s | 112 |
| 1920s | 173 |
| 1930s | 176 |
| 1940s | 176 |
| 1950s | 157 |
| 1960s | 126 |
| 1970s | 89 |
| 1980s | 124 |
| 1990s | 105 |
| 2000s | 43 |
| 2010s | 25 |
| 2020s | 12 |
Meaning & origin
Phillips is a patronymic surname turned given name, drawn from the popular name Philip, meaning "lover of horses." As a first name, it has always been rare: the Social Security Administration first recorded it in 1904, and its highest usage came in 1909, though even then it never entered the top 1000. Its trajectory has been stable over the decades, appearing sporadically and never gaining widespread adoption. While Phillips is occasionally used in honor of a family surname, it remains an unconventional choice. In recent years, no state has reported significant usage, indicating its extreme rarity as a given name.
Phillips is an English patronymic surname derived from the given name Philip, which comes from the Greek name Philippos, meaning "lover of horses." It has been used as a given name, particularly in the southern United States, since the late 19th century, often passed down from family surnames. Its use as a first name peaked in the early 1900s and has since remained stable but uncommon.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Phil, Flip
Sibling names for Phillips
Names that share Phillips's style, for a brother or sister.
