Phil

Phil - A very unique male name

Phil appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #657. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Phil and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Phil? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Phil. The baby boy name Phil was given to 5 baby boys in 2000, ranking #3745 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 353,887 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Phil peaked in popularity 79 years ago in 1947 on position 260.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Phil, 1-5?

Phil is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Phil is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #2,002 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,002.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Phil is where you live.

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Phil origin and meaning

English — short form of Philip

Short form of Philip — Greek Philippos, 'lover of horses'

Phil is Philip's short form registered alone; Philip itself continues, while the standalone Phil belongs to the mid-century nickname-as-name era. It first appears in the data in 1910, peaked in 1959 with 651 births, and totals 15,224 lifetime births. It has no row in the 2020 or 2025 data.

Attested etymology

Phil is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Phil, pop culture references for the name Phil and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Phil

We've found the following names that sound similar to Phil, sorted by popularity.

Paul / Pablo / Paulo / Paolo / Pavel / Pawel / Polo / Paula / Paola / Paublo /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Phil

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Phil a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Phil?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

FIL · /fɪl/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

• Phil Collins — English drummer and singer of Genesis, born Philip Collins and known as Phil Collins (b. 1951) Contemporary
• Phil Donahue — American television host, creator of the modern audience-participation talk show, born Phillip Donahue and known as Phil Donahue (1935–2024) Contemporary

Style

Nickname nameShort form

Why parents choose it

A friendly, familiar short form; as a legal name it now reads as a period choice, while the nickname remains universal.

Worth knowing

• Groundhog Day's Punxsutawney Phil is a cheerful but persistent association.