Girl name · Greek
Philippa
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: lover of horsesPhilippa is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "lover of horses". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Lover of horses
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #2808 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Philippa
As a girl's name, Philippa 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
Philippa on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Philippa on 5 lists.
“Friend of horses; Greek. Polished English classic”
From Girl middle names, long girl middle names for short first names
“Greek for lover of horses, Pippa for short”
From Horse names, horse names for mares
“Lover of horses; Greek. Edward III's queen from Hainault, 14th century”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval female names from England and France
“Lover of horses; Greek, a medieval queen of England”
From Unique girl names, rare Greek girl names
“Lover of horses; Greek. Pippa for short”
From Vintage girl names, victorian girl names
How popular is Philippa?
- US rank in 2025
- #2,808
- 61 babies, 38 per million girls
- Best rank
- #2,016 in 1918
- Most babies: 75 in 2022
- Babies since 1910
- At least 1,815
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 7 per million |
| 1920s | 6 per million |
| 1930s | 5 per million |
| 1940s | 4 per million |
| 1950s | 5 per million |
| 1960s | 6 per million |
| 1970s | 4 per million |
| 1980s | 6 per million |
| 1990s | 6 per million |
| 2000s | 7 per million |
| 2010s | 32 per million |
| 2020s | 41 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,473 | #2,481 | #2,606 | #3,212 | #2,814 | #2,633 | #2,442 | #2,638 | #2,628 | #2,808 |
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.
Other forms of Philippa
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- FelipaLover of horses (Greek, girl)
- FilipaLover of horses (Greek, girl)
- FilippaLover of horses (Greek, girl)
- PhilippineLover of horses (Greek, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- FilipLover of horses (Greek, boy)
- 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)
- FelipeLover of horses (Greek, boy)
- FilibLover of horses (Greek, boy)
- FilipeLover of horses (Greek, boy)
- FilippLover of horses (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Philippa
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
Philippa: common questions
What does the name Philippa mean?
Philippa comes from Greek and means "lover of horses".
Is Philippa a boy or girl name?
Philippa is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Philippa come from?
Philippa comes from Greek and means "lover of horses". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Philippa?
Philippa ranked #2,808 in the US in 2025, with 61 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Philippa?
Forms of Philippa with the same meaning and origin include Felipa (Spanish), Filipa (Portuguese), Filippa (Greek) and Philippine (French).
What middle names go with Philippa?
Middle names that flow well with Philippa include Gemma, Iris, Jade, Lynn and Reese. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.