Total births
344,036
Boys' name · since 1880
Philip
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 344,036 babies named Philip, peaking in 1953. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #520
- among boys today
- 344,036
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Philip currently ranks #520 among boys' names in America, with 344,036 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Philip has been recorded 344,036 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #520 nationally and more common than 96% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #520 among boys today
- 344,036 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Philip is currently the #520 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 344,036 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #520
- among boys today
- 344,036
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Philip vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#520
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Philip was born in this single decade.
1953
Single peak year
6,279 babies were named Philip in 1953 - its busiest year on record.
How Philip compares
344,036 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Philip's all-time total is 937x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Philip | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 344,036 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,279 | 23 | 22,252 |
Philip's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Philip splits its recorded history at 1953: 57% of all births land in the more recent half, 43% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (156 births) -- compare that against the 1953 peak of 6,279 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Philip at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1953
Current rank
#520
Active since
1880
Philip popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1953)
- 6,279
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Philip popularity over time - girls
1,137 total births recorded since 1896 (Philip as girls' name)
Philip by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Philip's strongest decade.
60,853 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Philip births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,741
1880s
1,741 births
- 1890s 2,147
1890s
2,147 births
- 1900s 2,817
1900s
2,817 births
- 1910s 18,166
1910s
18,166 births
- 1920s
1920s
27,268 births
- 1930s
1930s
28,847 births
- 1940s
1940s
48,735 births
- 1950s
1950s
60,853 births
- 1960s
1960s
44,780 births
- 1970s
1970s
31,367 births
- 1980s
1980s
35,733 births
- 1990s 20,460
1990s
20,460 births
- 2000s 10,193
2000s
10,193 births
- 2010s 7,216
2010s
7,216 births
- 2020s 3,713
2020s
3,713 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 60,853 births (18% of all-time use).
How Philip 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 Philip's total volume
Philip vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Philip by state
Where Philip concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 50,369 | 14.6% |
| #2 | California | | 25,491 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 23,980 | 7.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 18,667 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 18,332 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 17,088 | 5.0% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 14,245 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 13,898 | 4.0% |
New York share of Philip's total US births 14.6%
Even split
50,369 of 344,036 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Philip appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Philip? ▼
344,036 babies have been named Philip since 1880. It currently ranks #520 among boys. The peak year was 1953 with 6,279 births.
When was Philip most popular? ▼
Philip was most popular in the 1950s decade with 60,853 total births. The single peak year was 1953.
Where is Philip most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Philip are New York (50,369 births), California (25,491 births), Pennsylvania (23,980 births).
How long has the name Philip been used? ▼
Records for Philip go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Philip? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Phillip, Phil, Philippe, Phineas, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Philip's data
- Philip's decade-level peak was the 1950s (60,853 total births); usage has since declined to 3,713 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Philips (50,369 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Philip
Nearby Names Like Philip
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Philip
Phillip Boy
#626 311,561 births
Phil Boy
#10942 20,036 births
Philippe Boy
#7296 3,043 births
Phineas Boy
#1541 2,803 births
Phillips Boy
1,331 births
Compare Philip side by side: Philip vs Phillip Philip vs Phil Philip vs Philippe
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Philip
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. "Philip: #520 Boys' Name - 344,036 Births, Peak 1953." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/philip. 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 Philip 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.