Girl name · Greek
Philomena
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: lovedPhilomena is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "loved". It is used in English and Italian.
- Meaning
- Loved
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #1920 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Philomena
As a girl's name, Philomena comes from Greek and means "loved". It is used in English and Italian.
Its meaning puts Philomena on our names that mean love list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Philomena on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Philomena on 4 lists.
“Long, lovely and a joy to say slowly”
From Funny middle names, grand old-fashioned middle names
“A pretty, old-world name for a heart-leaf vine”
From Funny plant names, names for philodendron
“Greek roots meaning loved, gentle and rare”
From Unique dog names, old-fashioned names nobody uses for dogs
“Loved; Greek, a saint whose shrine is in southern Italy”
From Unique girl names, unique vintage girl names
How popular is Philomena?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,920
- 101 babies, 63 per million girls
- Best rank
- #355 in 1915
- Most babies: 308 in 1922
- Babies since 1880
- At least 9,951
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 107 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 133 per million |
| 1900s | 209 per million |
| 1910s | 254 per million |
| 1920s | 227 per million |
| 1930s | 100 per million |
| 1940s | 38 per million |
| 1950s | 28 per million |
| 1960s | 13 per million |
| 1970s | 7 per million |
| 1980s | 4 per million |
| 1990s | 7 per million |
| 2000s | 12 per million |
| 2010s | 38 per million |
| 2020s | 55 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,112 | #2,106 | #2,176 | #2,065 | #2,131 | #2,361 | #2,272 | #2,306 | #1,819 | #1,920 |
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.
Names with a similar meaning
- EsméEsteemed, loved (Old French, girl)
- AngharadMuch loved (Welsh, girl)
- EsmeeEsteemed, loved (Old French, girl)
- FilomenaTo be loved (Greek, girl)
- KealohaThe loved one (Hawaiian, unisex)
- ThandekaLoved (Zulu, girl)
Middle names for Philomena
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)
- IrisA rainbow (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)
Philomena: common questions
What does the name Philomena mean?
Philomena comes from Greek and means "loved".
Is Philomena a boy or girl name?
Philomena is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Philomena come from?
Philomena comes from Greek and means "loved". Today it is used in English and Italian.
How popular is the name Philomena?
Philomena ranked #1,920 in the US in 2025, with 101 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Philomena?
Middle names that flow well with Philomena include Briar, Dawn, Grace, Hazel and Jane. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.