Unisex name · since 1976
Phi
474 babies named Phi in U.S. Social Security records since 1976, with the highest year being 1992. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8,159 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 474
- born since 1976
- 1990s
- peak decade
Phi is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 474 have been recorded since 1976.
Phi has 474 recorded births among boys since 1976, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 2015.
- #8,159 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 474 born since 1976
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Phi ranks #8,159 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 474 born since 1976, peaking in the 1990s.
- #8,159 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 474
- born since 1976
- 1990s
- peak decade
Phi's 474 recorded births place it above 82.05% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
Phi's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Phi's full recorded timeline at 1995, 39% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 61% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1976, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1992 peak of 26 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Phi popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2015
- Peak year (1992)
- 26
- Annual births at peak, across 40 years of records
Phi popularity over time - girls
45 total births recorded since 1981 (Phi as girls' name)
Phi by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (171 births, 36% of the file).
1990s was Phi's strongest decade.
171 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Phi births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 20
1970s
20 births
- 1980s
1980s
164 births
- 1990s
1990s
171 births
- 2000s
2000s
99 births
- 2010s 20
2010s
20 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 171 births (36% of all-time use).
Phi by state
Where Phi concentrates geographically, total births since 1976
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 82 | 17.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 27 | 5.7% |
82 of 474 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Phi's data
- Phi's decade-level peak was the 1990s (171 total births); usage has since declined to 20 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Phis (82 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Phi
Nearby Names Like Phi
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Phi
Compare Phi side by side: Phi vs Philip Phi vs Phillip Phi vs Phil
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Phi: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1992)
Similar record span (~39 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1976–2015 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Phi draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.