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Boy name · Greek

Philip

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: lover of horses

Philip is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "lover of horses". It is used in English.

Meaning
Lover of horses
Origin
Greek
Gender
Boy
US rank
#528 in 2025

Meaning and origin of Philip

As a boy's name, Philip comes from Greek and means "lover of horses". It is used in English.

Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names

Philip on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Philip on 3 lists.

  • “Friend of horses; Greek. Apostle from Bethsaida”

    From Biblical names, names from the Gospels and Acts

  • “Lover of horses; Greek. An apostle and kings of France and Spain”

    From Classic boy names, timeless boy names

  • “Formal, proper and ready for a nice pot”

    From Funny plant names, names for philodendron

How popular is Philip?

US rank in 2025
#528
568 babies, 333 per million boys
Best rank
#52 in 1941
Most babies: 6,279 in 1953
Babies since 1880
At least 344,036
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 1940s, at 3,274 per million.
Babies named Philip per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 1940s
1880s1,589 per million
1890s1,882 per million
1900s2,075 per million
1910s2,721 per million
1920s2,475 per million
1930s2,730 per million
1940s3,274 per million
1950s3,010 per million
1960s2,325 per million
1970s1,899 per million
1980s1,936 per million
1990s1,050 per million
2000s511 per million
2010s384 per million
2020s358 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#435#426#437#439#453#452#493#499#521#528

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Nicknames for Philip

Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.

  • Philcommon English nickname
  • Pipcommon English nickname

Other forms of Philip

The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.

  • FelipeLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • FilibLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • FilipLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • FilipeLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • FilippLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • FilippoLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • FilipposLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • LippoLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • PhilippLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • PhilippeLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • PilibLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • PilipoLover of horses (Greek, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • ConnorLover of hounds (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • ConorLover of hounds (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • LennonLover, sweetheart (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
  • AshwiniPossessing horses (Sanskrit, unisex)
  • ColterFrom a surname for a keeper of horses (English, boy)
  • FelipaLover of horses (Greek, girl)
  • FilipaLover of horses (Greek, girl)
  • FilippaLover of horses (Greek, girl)
  • HipólitoFreer of horses (Greek, boy)
  • HippolytaFreer of horses (Greek, girl)

Middle names for Philip

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.

  • DeanFrom a surname meaning valley (Old English, boy)
  • EthanFirm, enduring (Hebrew, boy)
  • GlennValley (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
  • GrantGreat, large (Old French, boy)
  • HeathMoorland (English, boy)
  • RexKing (Latin, boy)
  • WayneWagon maker or driver (Old English, boy)
  • WyattBrave in war (Old English, boy)

More boy names from Greek

  • AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
  • LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
  • HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
  • TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
  • LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
  • SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)

Philip: common questions

What does the name Philip mean?

Philip comes from Greek and means "lover of horses".

Is Philip a boy or girl name?

Philip is mainly a boy's name.

What are nicknames for Philip?

Common nicknames for Philip include Phil and Pip.

How popular is the name Philip?

Philip ranked #528 in the US in 2025, with 568 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What are other forms of Philip?

Forms of Philip with the same meaning and origin include Felipe (Spanish), Filib (Scottish), Filip (Dutch), Filipe (Portuguese) and Filipp (Russian).

What middle names go with Philip?

Middle names that flow well with Philip include Dean, Ethan, Glenn, Grant and Heath. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.