Boy name · Greek
Philip
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: lover of horsesPhilip 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
| 1880s | 1,589 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,882 per million |
| 1900s | 2,075 per million |
| 1910s | 2,721 per million |
| 1920s | 2,475 per million |
| 1930s | 2,730 per million |
| 1940s | 3,274 per million |
| 1950s | 3,010 per million |
| 1960s | 2,325 per million |
| 1970s | 1,899 per million |
| 1980s | 1,936 per million |
| 1990s | 1,050 per million |
| 2000s | 511 per million |
| 2010s | 384 per million |
| 2020s | 358 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.

