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Philip

Heart
Greek
"lover of horses"

Philip Origin and Meaning

The name Philip is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "lover of horses".

Philip, the name of one of the 12 apostles, is still favored by parents in search of a solid boys' classic that is less neutral than Robert or John and more distinctive than Daniel or Matthew and has many historic, royal ties.

Famous bearers include Saint Philip and King Philip the Great, who was the father of Alexander the Great, plus there have been numerous other French and Spanish rulers named Philip.

Thanks to the Duke of Edinburgh, though, Philip has a certain built-in reserve, somewhat straight and staid.

When it comes to nicknames, you're not limited to the midcentury Phil -- more lively ones include Pip and Flip.

The name can also be spelled Phillip; that spelling is consistently used almost exactly as much as this spelling, and in 2017 there were exactly as many baby Phillips as there were baby Philips.

Some other modern Philip namesakes are writer Roth, late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, architect Johnson, and composer Glass. Model Eva Herzigova named her baby Philip.

Philip comes via Latin from the Greek and was a Top 100 choice for a century, before fading in the late-1980s. In literature, Philip Pirrip is the full name of Pip from Great Expectations. Other Philips appear in the novels of Jane Austen, George Eliot, and William Thackeray -- not to mention Raymond Chandler's detective Philip Marlowe.

# 494 in the US

Philip Rank in US Top 1000

# 237 on Nameberry

Philip Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Philip Popularity

20 Names Similar to Philip

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Philip.

Famous People Named Philip

  • Philip IIII, Dukes of Burgundy
  • Philip I and IIKings of Macedon
  • PhilipBiblical apostle
  • Philip IV, Kings of Spain
  • Philip IVI, Kings of France
  • Philip IIIKing of Navarre
  • Philip Leopold Lewis MarieKing of Belgium
  • Philip of SwabiaKing of Germany
  • PhilipKing of Sweden
  • Philip aka MetacometKing of the Native American Wampanoag people
  • Philip MountbattenPrince of the UK; Duke of Edinburgh; husband of Queen Elizabeth II
  • Philip Seymour HoffmanAmerican actor
  • Philip Morris GlassAmerican composer
  • Philip Michael RiversAmerican NFL football player
  • Philip "Phil" Richard ErenbergAmerican Olympic gymnast
  • Philip PullmanEnglish novelist
  • Eugene Joseph "Philip" CareyAmerican actor
  • Philip ReeveEnglish novelist
  • Philip Kindred DickAmerican novelist
  • Philip Milton RothAmerican novelist
  • Philip LevineAmerican Poet Laureate
  • Philip Guston (born Phillip Goldstein)American painter
  • Philip Douglas "Phil" JacksonAmerican basketball coach and team president
  • Philip David Charles "Phil" CollinsEnglish musician
  • Philip Hampson "Phil" KnightAmerican co,founder of Nike
  • Philip John "Phil" KeoghanNew Zealand host of TV's "The Amazing Race"
  • Philip "Phil" Michael LesterEnglish radio host and internet personality known as AmazingPhil
  • Philip "Phil" Jamiesonlead singer of Australian band Grinspoon
  • Philip George ZimbardoAmerican psychologist
  • Phillip PhillipsAmerican singer
  • Philip Hamiltonfirst son of Elizabeth and Alexander Hamilton
  • Philip Marsiaj (b. 2011)son of Czech model and actress Eva Herzigová
  • Philip Cairns (b. 1973)13 year old Irish boy who went and still is currently missing either from Ballyroan or Rathfarnham in south Dublin in 1986

Philip in Pop Culture

  • Philip "Pip" Pirripcharacter in Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations"
  • Philip Herritoncharacter in movie "Where Angels Fear to Tread"
  • Philip "The Governor" character on TV's "The Walking Dead"
  • Philip "Phil" Dunphycharacter on TV's "Modern Family"
  • Prince Philipcharacter in Disney's "Sleeping Beauty"
  • Philip J. Frymain character in animated sitcom "Futurama"
  • Prior Philipa main character in Ken Follett's "The Pillars of Earth"
  • Philip Fletchermain character in G. A. Henty's "St. Bartholomew's Eve"
  • Philipname chosen by both Angela and Pam for their sons on TV's "The Office"
  • Philip Maylandsmain character in R. M. Ballantyne's "Post Haste"