Phillip
Boy name · #651 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 425 baby boys were named Phillip, placing it at #651 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #408, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,235 boys born in 2025 was named Phillip.
Babies named Phillip per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Phillip first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 75 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1960, when 6,047 boys were named Phillip — good for #66 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Phillip against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Phillip in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Phillip is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Phillip will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Phillip is most common
Geography matters for names, and Phillip is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Phillip is most common in KY (0.7 per 1,000), AL (0.7 per 1,000), LA (0.6 per 1,000), OK (0.6 per 1,000), SC (0.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Phillip is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Phillip
Statistically, parents drawn to Phillip tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Philip, Gregory, Jeffrey, Patrick, and Frankie.
PhilipGregoryJeffreyPatrickFrankieCurtisNelsonPerry
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Phillip | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 425 | #651 |
| 2024 | 453 | #626 |
| 2023 | 455 | #616 |
| 2022 | 514 | #572 |
| 2021 | 559 | #524 |
| 2020 | 553 | #519 |
| 2019 | 569 | #503 |
| 2018 | 666 | #449 |
| 2017 | 727 | #427 |
| 2016 | 707 | #437 |
| 2015 | 762 | #408 |
| 2014 | 798 | #390 |
| 2013 | 870 | #362 |
| 2012 | 884 | #350 |
| 2011 | 779 | #378 |
| 2010 | 864 | #354 |
| 2009 | 927 | #339 |
| 2008 | 1,098 | #304 |
| 2007 | 1,175 | #292 |
| 2006 | 1,220 | #286 |
| 2005 | 1,233 | #268 |
| 2004 | 1,325 | #247 |
| 2003 | 1,455 | #233 |
| 2002 | 1,553 | #226 |
| 2001 | 1,711 | #209 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Phillip a popular boy name?
Phillip ranked #651 among boys in 2025 with 425 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #408.
When was the name Phillip most popular?
Phillip peaked in 1960, when 6,047 American boys received the name (ranked #66 that year). Since 1960 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Phillip?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,235 newborn American boys was named Phillip. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.