Total births
20,036
Boys' name · since 1880
Phil
Phil has 20,036 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1959 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #10942
- among boys today
- 20,036
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Phil is the #10942 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 20,036 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Phil recorded 20,036 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #10942 nationally today, ahead of 23% of boys, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #10942 among boys today
- 20,036 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 23% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Phil is currently the #10942 boys' name in America, more common than 23% of boys - 20,036 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #10942
- among boys today
- 20,036
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Phil vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#10942
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 23% of names given to boys today.
1940s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Phil was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
677 babies were named Phil in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Phil compares
20,036 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Phil's all-time total is 55x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Phil | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,036 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 677 | 23 | 22,252 |
Phil's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Phil splits its recorded history at 1953: 45% of all births land in the more recent half, 55% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 2024 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1959 peak of 677 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Phil at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#10,942
Active since
1880
Phil popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 677
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Phil popularity over time - girls
72 total births recorded since 1912 (Phil as girls' name)
Phil by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Phil's strongest decade.
4,575 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Phil births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 169
1880s
169 births
- 1890s 179
1890s
179 births
- 1900s 218
1900s
218 births
- 1910s 938
1910s
938 births
- 1920s 1,506
1920s
1,506 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,571 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,575 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,777 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,053 births
- 1970s 889
1970s
889 births
- 1980s 457
1980s
457 births
- 1990s 315
1990s
315 births
- 2000s 198
2000s
198 births
- 2010s 139
2010s
139 births
- 2020s 52
2020s
52 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 4,575 births (23% of all-time use).
How Phil compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Phil's total volume
Phil vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Phil by state
Where Phil concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,057 | 10.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,169 | 5.8% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 966 | 4.8% |
| #4 | New York | | 946 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 906 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 804 | 4.0% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 685 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 665 | 3.3% |
California share of Phil's total US births 10.3%
Even split
2,057 of 20,036 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Phil appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Phil? ▼
Phil has been given to 20,036 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #10942 as of the latest data. 677 babies were born in 1959, its single highest year.
When was Phil most popular? ▼
Phil was most popular in the 1940s decade with 4,575 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Phil most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Phil are California (2,057 births), Texas (1,169 births), Illinois (966 births).
How long has the name Phil been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Phil since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Phil? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Philip, Phillip, Philippe, Phineas, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Phil's data
- Phil's decade-level peak was the 1940s (4,575 total births); usage has since declined to 52 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Phils (2,057 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Phil
Nearby Names Like Phil
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Phil
Philip Boy
#520 344,036 births
Phillip Boy
#626 311,561 births
Philippe Boy
#7296 3,043 births
Phineas Boy
#1541 2,803 births
Phillips Boy
1,331 births
Compare Phil side by side: Phil vs Philip Phil vs Phillip Phil vs Philippe
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Phil
Alvie #10941
4,094 births · Peak 1921
Thornton #10943
3,132 births · Peak 1921
Willam #10940
3,516 births · Peak 1959
Alois #10944
2,525 births · Peak 1918
Merrill #10939
12,988 births · Peak 1926
Hermann #10945
731 births · Peak 1916
Vern #10938
11,497 births · Peak 1920
Octave #10946
450 births · Peak 1918
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Phil: #10942 Boys' Name - 20,036 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/phil. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Phil 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 June 2026.