Total births
9,951
Girls' name · since 1880
Philomena
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 9,951 babies named Philomena, peaking in 1922. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1810
- among girls today
- 9,951
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Philomena is the #1810 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 9,951 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Philomena has been recorded 9,951 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #1810 nationally and more common than 90% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. 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.
- #1810 among girls today
- 9,951 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 90% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Philomena is currently the #1810 girls' name in America, more common than 90% of girls - 9,951 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1810
- among girls today
- 9,951
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Philomena vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1810
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 90% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Philomena was born in this single decade.
1922
Single peak year
308 babies were named Philomena in 1922 - its busiest year on record.
How Philomena compares
9,951 Top 9% higher than 91% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Philomena's all-time total is 26x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Philomena | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,951 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 308 | 48 | 19,840 |
Philomena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Philomena's full recorded timeline at 1952, 24% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 76% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1990, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1922 peak of 308 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Philomena at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1922
Current rank
#1,810
Active since
1880
Philomena popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 308
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Philomena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Philomena's strongest decade.
2,711 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Philomena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 140
1880s
140 births
- 1890s 296
1890s
296 births
- 1900s 613
1900s
613 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,071 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,711 births
- 1930s 1,070
1930s
1,070 births
- 1940s 547
1940s
547 births
- 1950s 534
1950s
534 births
- 1960s 239
1960s
239 births
- 1970s 115
1970s
115 births
- 1980s 72
1980s
72 births
- 1990s 122
1990s
122 births
- 2000s 218
2000s
218 births
- 2010s 665
2010s
665 births
- 2020s 538
2020s
538 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,711 births (27% of all-time use).
How Philomena compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Philomena's total volume
Philomena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Philomena by state
Where Philomena concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 2,046 | 20.6% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 1,780 | 17.9% |
| #3 | New Jersey | | 781 | 7.8% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 473 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Connecticut | | 388 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 243 | 2.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 194 | 1.9% |
| #8 | California | | 79 | 0.8% |
New York share of Philomena's total US births 20.6%
Even split
2,046 of 9,951 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 24 reporting states.
Philomena appears in 24 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Philomena? ▼
Philomena has been given to 9,951 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1810 as of the latest data. 308 babies were born in 1922, its single highest year.
When was Philomena most popular? ▼
Philomena was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,711 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
Where is Philomena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Philomena are New York (2,046 births), Pennsylvania (1,780 births), New Jersey (781 births).
How long has the name Philomena been used? ▼
Records for Philomena go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Philomena? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Phillis, Philippa, Phillip, Philip, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Philomena's data
- Philomena's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,711 total births); usage has since declined to 538 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Philomenas (2,046 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 Philomena
Nearby Names Like Philomena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Philomena
Phillis Girl
3,677 births
Philippa Girl
#2607 1,815 births
Phillip Girl
1,330 births
Philip Girl
1,137 births
Philomene Girl
544 births
Compare Philomena side by side: Philomena vs Phillis Philomena vs Philippa Philomena vs Phillip
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Philomena
Rumani #1809
300 births · Peak 2024
Margarita #1811
40,219 births · Peak 1957
Lennyn #1808
809 births · Peak 2025
Maura #1812
19,965 births · Peak 1964
Nahomi #1807
1,912 births · Peak 2024
Julianne #1813
30,617 births · Peak 1989
Dayanna #1806
3,916 births · Peak 2009
Rio #1814
2,282 births · Peak 2021
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. "Philomena: #1810 Girls' Name - 9,951 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/philomena. 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 Philomena 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.