Phoebe
Phoebe was given to 1,885 girls in 2025, #157 among girls’ names; 43,663 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 35,600 Americans named Phoebe and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (82% of everyone recorded); the median is 15 years old and half are between 7 and 25.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Phoebe by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Phoebe mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Phoebe is “a female given name from Ancient Greek.” Its etymology gives the sense “bright” (Φοῖβος).
Borrowed from Latin Phoebē, from Ancient Greek Φοίβη (Phoíbē), feminine form of Φοῖβος (Phoîbos, “bright”).
/ˈfiːbi/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Phoebe?
#157 among girls’ names, 2025
Phoebe rose from #288 in 2015 to #157 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 0.63 to 1.2 per 1,000.
1,885 babies in 2025, the peak
Phoebe peaked in 2025, when 1,885 girls were given it, #157 among girls’ names. In 2024 it went to 1,647 girls.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,885 | #157 | 1.2 |
| 2024 | 1,647 | #183 | 1.0 |
| 2023 | 1,591 | #191 | 1.0 |
| 2022 | 1,384 | #212 | 0.84 |
| 2021 | 1,240 | #247 | 0.76 |
| 2020 | 1,181 | #254 | 0.73 |
| 2019 | 1,149 | #291 | 0.68 |
| 2018 | 1,027 | #320 | 0.60 |
| 2017 | 1,021 | #318 | 0.59 |
| 2016 | 1,036 | #314 | 0.58 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1,119 | #288 | 0.63 |
| 2014 | 1,104 | #297 | 0.62 |
| 2013 | 1,065 | #302 | 0.61 |
| 2012 | 1,061 | #301 | 0.60 |
| 2011 | 1,023 | #310 | 0.58 |
| 2010 | 1,040 | #308 | 0.59 |
| 2009 | 1,018 | #322 | 0.55 |
| 2008 | 959 | #348 | 0.51 |
| 2007 | 988 | #337 | 0.51 |
| 2006 | 890 | #365 | 0.47 |
| 2005 | 730 | #425 | 0.40 |
| 2004 | 752 | #405 | 0.41 |
| 2003 | 689 | #436 | 0.38 |
| 2002 | 665 | #436 | 0.37 |
| 2001 | 752 | #389 | 0.42 |
| 2000 | 642 | #440 | 0.35 |
| 1999 | 527 | #494 | 0.30 |
| 1998 | 398 | #605 | 0.23 |
| 1997 | 419 | #559 | 0.24 |
| 1996 | 431 | #544 | 0.25 |
| 1995 | 397 | #578 | 0.23 |
| 1994 | 247 | #817 | 0.14 |
| 1993 | 215 | #898 | 0.12 |
| 1992 | 195 | #979 | 0.11 |
| 1991 | 235 | #853 | 0.13 |
| 1990 | 224 | #870 | 0.12 |
| 1989 | 189 | #940 | 0.10 |
| 1988 | 122 | #1,228 | 0.07 |
| 1987 | 109 | #1,290 | 0.06 |
| 1986 | 138 | #1,087 | 0.08 |
| 1985 | 119 | #1,191 | 0.07 |
| 1984 | 106 | #1,228 | 0.06 |
| 1983 | 92 | #1,314 | 0.06 |
| 1982 | 80 | #1,504 | 0.05 |
| 1981 | 84 | #1,452 | 0.05 |
| 1980 | 84 | #1,455 | 0.05 |
| 1979 | 100 | #1,279 | 0.06 |
| 1978 | 115 | #1,131 | 0.08 |
| 1977 | 151 | #930 | 0.10 |
| 1976 | 107 | #1,120 | 0.07 |
| 1975 | 112 | #1,062 | 0.08 |
| 1974 | 95 | #1,183 | 0.06 |
| 1973 | 118 | #1,005 | 0.08 |
| 1972 | 112 | #1,043 | 0.07 |
| 1971 | 113 | #1,070 | 0.07 |
| 1970 | 111 | #1,082 | 0.06 |
| 1969 | 100 | #1,105 | 0.06 |
| 1968 | 96 | #1,088 | 0.06 |
| 1967 | 137 | #868 | 0.08 |
| 1966 | 106 | #998 | 0.06 |
| 1965 | 75 | #1,248 | 0.04 |
| 1964 | 100 | #1,093 | 0.05 |
| 1963 | 105 | #1,051 | 0.05 |
| 1962 | 108 | #1,042 | 0.05 |
| 1961 | 120 | #991 | 0.06 |
| 1960 | 117 | #996 | 0.06 |
| 1959 | 116 | #985 | 0.06 |
| 1958 | 110 | #990 | 0.05 |
| 1957 | 105 | #1,023 | 0.05 |
| 1956 | 109 | #967 | 0.05 |
| 1955 | 120 | #895 | 0.06 |
| 1954 | 130 | #824 | 0.07 |
| 1953 | 95 | #983 | 0.05 |
| 1952 | 99 | #932 | 0.05 |
| 1951 | 109 | #860 | 0.06 |
| 1950 | 99 | #892 | 0.06 |
| 1949 | 107 | #854 | 0.06 |
| 1948 | 105 | #855 | 0.06 |
| 1947 | 128 | #761 | 0.07 |
| 1946 | 117 | #759 | 0.07 |
| 1945 | 101 | #747 | 0.08 |
| 1944 | 112 | #714 | 0.08 |
| 1943 | 128 | #672 | 0.09 |
| 1942 | 127 | #665 | 0.09 |
| 1941 | 155 | #564 | 0.13 |
| 1940 | 150 | #566 | 0.13 |
| 1939 | 143 | #563 | 0.13 |
| 1938 | 151 | #558 | 0.14 |
| 1937 | 121 | #613 | 0.11 |
| 1936 | 139 | #553 | 0.13 |
| 1935 | 127 | #573 | 0.12 |
| 1934 | 128 | #570 | 0.12 |
| 1933 | 143 | #532 | 0.14 |
| 1932 | 145 | #542 | 0.14 |
| 1931 | 143 | #551 | 0.13 |
| 1930 | 164 | #533 | 0.15 |
| 1929 | 148 | #563 | 0.13 |
| 1928 | 177 | #522 | 0.15 |
| 1927 | 169 | #545 | 0.14 |
| 1926 | 162 | #558 | 0.14 |
| 1925 | 192 | #506 | 0.16 |
| 1924 | 197 | #506 | 0.16 |
| 1923 | 194 | #498 | 0.16 |
| 1922 | 193 | #502 | 0.16 |
| 1921 | 199 | #498 | 0.16 |
| 1920 | 220 | #457 | 0.18 |
| 1919 | 193 | #480 | 0.17 |
| 1918 | 215 | #458 | 0.19 |
| 1917 | 227 | #426 | 0.21 |
| 1916 | 199 | #449 | 0.19 |
| 1915 | 198 | #433 | 0.20 |
| 1914 | 177 | #395 | 0.23 |
| 1913 | 112 | #480 | 0.18 |
| 1912 | 104 | #472 | 0.19 |
| 1911 | 87 | #437 | 0.21 |
| 1910 | 89 | #420 | 0.22 |
| 1909 | 78 | #416 | 0.22 |
| 1908 | 76 | #415 | 0.23 |
| 1907 | 82 | #393 | 0.26 |
| 1906 | 53 | #470 | 0.18 |
| 1905 | 87 | #365 | 0.30 |
| 1904 | 63 | #406 | 0.23 |
| 1903 | 68 | #386 | 0.26 |
| 1902 | 87 | #340 | 0.33 |
| 1901 | 54 | #409 | 0.23 |
| 1900 | 71 | #395 | 0.24 |
| 1899 | 84 | #328 | 0.36 |
| 1898 | 79 | #349 | 0.31 |
| 1897 | 72 | #346 | 0.31 |
| 1896 | 106 | #285 | 0.45 |
| 1895 | 90 | #307 | 0.39 |
| 1894 | 85 | #298 | 0.38 |
| 1893 | 86 | #292 | 0.40 |
| 1892 | 88 | #287 | 0.41 |
| 1891 | 84 | #270 | 0.45 |
| 1890 | 74 | #289 | 0.39 |
| 1889 | 67 | #298 | 0.38 |
| 1888 | 65 | #294 | 0.36 |
| 1887 | 63 | #267 | 0.43 |
| 1886 | 80 | #231 | 0.55 |
| 1885 | 72 | #235 | 0.54 |
| 1884 | 75 | #219 | 0.58 |
| 1883 | 66 | #222 | 0.59 |
| 1882 | 62 | #219 | 0.57 |
| 1881 | 46 | #233 | 0.50 |
| 1880 | 50 | #217 | 0.55 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Phoebe a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Phoebe has been given almost only to girls: 5 boys in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Phoebe: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Phoebe, and how old are they?
35,600 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 82% of the 43,663 Americans ever recorded as Phoebe. The median Phoebe alive today is 15 years old; half are between 7 and 25.
The 2020 Census counted 28,467 people named Phoebe (28,426 women and girls, 41 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 27,852 born in the U.S. The Census count is 2% above that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 705 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 1,620 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 1,610 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 2,910 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 12,400 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 16,400 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Phoebe born?
The states with the most babies named Phoebe are California, Texas and Ohio, with 23% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 187 | #170 | 1.0× |
| Texas | 157 | #220 | 0.6× |
| Ohio | 92 | #113 | 0.9× |
| Florida | 77 | #249 | 0.6× |
| Pennsylvania | 74 | #151 | 1.0× |
| New York | 72 | #240 | 1.1× |
| Washington | 63 | #98 | 1.2× |
| North Carolina | 58 | #185 | 0.8× |
| Illinois | 55 | #187 | 0.8× |
| Georgia | 55 | #192 | 0.7× |
Where Phoebe is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Phoebe is most over-represented in Maine: since 1910 it was given 1.6 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Phoebe with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 43,734 babies since 1880, Phoebe is the most given (100% of them). In 2025 it was given to 1,885 of their 1,885 babies (100%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Phoebe
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Phoebe and names like it
- Compare Phoebe and PhoebieBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sPhoebe peaked in 2025.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Phoebe since 1910.
- Ancient Greek namesWiktionary’s origin for Phoebe: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2025The year the most babies were named Phoebe.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Phoebe alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with PMost given first.