Girl name · Greek
Phoebe
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: bright, radiantPhoebe is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "bright, radiant". It is used in English and Greek.
- Meaning
- Bright, radiant
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #157 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Phoebe
As a girl's name, Phoebe comes from Greek and means "bright, radiant". It is used in English and Greek.
In Greek, say FEE-bee. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Phoebe on our names that mean light list.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Phoebe on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Phoebe on 8 lists.
“Bright, pure; Greek. Deacon praised in Romans 16”
From Biblical names, female biblical names
“Shares her name with a small American flycatcher”
From Bird names, human names that are also birds
“From Greek phoibos, meaning bright or radiant”
From Female demon hunter names, names that mean light, hunt or battle
“Greek for bright or radiant”
From Female cat names, classic girl cat names
“Bright, radiant; Titan goddess and grandmother of Artemis”
From Goddess names, greek goddess names
“Bright, pure; Greek. A Titan linked to prophecy. Say FEE-bee”
From Greek girl names, greek goddess names for girls
“Bright, radiant; Greek, a Titan and a poetic title of the moon”
From Names that mean moon, moon goddesses and moon gods
“Bright, quirky and lovable”
From Goat names, girl goat names
How popular is Phoebe?
- US rank in 2025
- #157
- 1,885 babies, 1,173 per million girls
- Best rank
- #157 in 2025
- 1,885 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 43,658
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 492 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 382 per million |
| 1900s | 246 per million |
| 1910s | 196 per million |
| 1920s | 155 per million |
| 1930s | 132 per million |
| 1940s | 85 per million |
| 1950s | 57 per million |
| 1960s | 58 per million |
| 1970s | 73 per million |
| 1980s | 65 per million |
| 1990s | 183 per million |
| 2000s | 438 per million |
| 2010s | 608 per million |
| 2020s | 918 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #314 | #318 | #320 | #291 | #254 | #247 | #212 | #191 | #183 | #157 |
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
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- MurielBright sea (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- RobertaBright fame (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- HubertBright heart (Germanic, boy)
- RobertoBright fame (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Phoebe
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- BriarThorny shrub (Old English, unisex)
- FaithFaith, trust (English, girl)
- HazelHazel tree (Old English, girl)
- IoneViolet flower (Greek, girl)
- JuneSixth month, named for Juno (Latin, girl)
- LarkEarly-rising songbird (English, girl)
- LucyLight, brightness (Latin, girl)
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)
Phoebe: common questions
What does the name Phoebe mean?
Phoebe comes from Greek and means "bright, radiant". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Phoebe a boy or girl name?
Phoebe is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Phoebe come from?
Phoebe comes from Greek and means "bright, radiant". Today it is used in English and Greek.
How popular is the name Phoebe?
Phoebe ranked #157 in the US in 2025, with 1,885 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Phoebe?
Middle names that flow well with Phoebe include Alice, Briar, Faith, Hazel and Ione. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.