Philomena
Girl name · #1912 in 2025 · Uniqueness 63/100
Philomena ranks #1912 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 101 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2351, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 17,822 girls born in 2025 was named Philomena.
Babies named Philomena per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Philomena first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 10 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1922, when 308 girls were named Philomena — good for #371 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 Philomena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Philomena in class?
Philomena scores 63 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Philomena is most common
Geography matters for names, and Philomena is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Philomenas were TX (11), OH (10), VA (7), CA (6), PA (6). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Philomena
Statistically, parents drawn to Philomena tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Georgiana, Wilhelmina, Verena, Filomena, and Faustina.
GeorgianaWilhelminaVerenaFilomenaFaustinaLaviniaNovellaLeonora
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Philomena | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 101 | #1911 |
| 2024 | 111 | #1810 |
| 2023 | 80 | #2288 |
| 2022 | 83 | #2253 |
| 2021 | 77 | #2345 |
| 2020 | 86 | #2115 |
| 2019 | 92 | #2056 |
| 2018 | 87 | #2159 |
| 2017 | 92 | #2097 |
| 2016 | 93 | #2093 |
| 2015 | 78 | #2351 |
| 2014 | 67 | #2615 |
| 2013 | 43 | #3573 |
| 2012 | 41 | #3782 |
| 2011 | 41 | #3723 |
| 2010 | 31 | #4608 |
| 2009 | 19 | #6811 |
| 2008 | 24 | #5750 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4475 |
| 2006 | 25 | #5383 |
| 2005 | 23 | #5437 |
| 2004 | 27 | #4816 |
| 2003 | 18 | #6299 |
| 2002 | 17 | #6392 |
| 2001 | 15 | #6956 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Philomena a popular girl name?
Philomena ranked #1912 among girls in 2025 with 101 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2351.
When was the name Philomena most popular?
Philomena peaked in 1922, when 308 American girls received the name (ranked #371 that year). Since 1922 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Philomena?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 17,822 newborn American girls was named Philomena. It scores 63/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.