Girls' name · since 1896

Phylis

Since 1896, U.S. Social Security records show 3,342 babies named Phylis, peaking in 1949. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#3,356 of 72,339
all-time among girls
3,342
born since 1896
1940s
peak decade

Phylis sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 3,342 recorded since 1896.

Phylis has 3,342 recorded births among girls since 1896, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1896 to 1985.

  • #3,356 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • 3,342 born since 1896
  • 1940s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Phylis ranks #3,356 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 3,342 born since 1896, peaking in the 1940s.

#3,356 of 72,339
all-time among girls
3,342
born since 1896
1940s
peak decade
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Phylis's 3,342 recorded births place it above 95.35% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

27 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

27 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.

Phylis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Phylis splits its recorded history at 1941: 55% of all births land in the more recent half, 45% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1896 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1949 peak of 109 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Phylis popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1896–1985

Last recorded 1985
Peak year (1949)
109
Annual births at peak, across 90 years of records
050100150 189619151925193519451955196519751985 5

Phylis by decade

1940s is the heaviest window (857 births, 26% of the file).

1940s was Phylis's strongest decade.

857 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.

Phylis births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1940s at 857 births (26% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Phylis 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 Phylis's total volume

Phylis vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15%20% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -42, 5.6%-145, 2.3%-34, 9.3%-38, 5.7%-24, 9.1%-54, 3.9%-108, 14.7%-137, 4.8%-105, 4.1%-142, 3.9%-78, 4.2%-110, 4.8%-116, 7.1%-56, 5.6%-117, 3.1%Phylis-90, 3.3%Phylis
Phylis vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Phylis by state

Where Phylis concentrates geographically, total births since 1896

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Phylis
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 New York
277 8.3%
#2 Ohio
86 2.6%
#3 Illinois
70 2.1%
#4 Texas
63 1.9%
#5 Michigan
58 1.7%
#6 Pennsylvania
58 1.7%
#7 California
57 1.7%
#8 New Jersey
32 1.0%
New York share of Phylis's total US births 8.3%
Even split

277 of 3,342 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.

Phylis appears in 27 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Phylis?
Phylis has been given to 3,342 babies in the U.S. since 1896, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #3,356 of 72,339 among girls' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 1985. 109 babies were born in 1949, its single highest year.
Where does Phylis sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Phylis ranks #3,356 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Phylis most popular?
Phylis was most popular in the 1940s decade with 857 total births. The single peak year was 1949.
Where is Phylis most popular?
The top states for the name Phylis are New York (277 births), Ohio (86 births), Illinois (70 births).
How long has the name Phylis been used?
Records for Phylis go back to 1896, giving 90 years of history through 1985.
What names are similar to Phylis?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Phyllis, Phyliss, Phylicia, Phylliss, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with Phylis's data

  • Phylis's decade-level peak was the 1940s (857 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • New York records the most Phyliss (277 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Phylis

Nearby Names Like Phylis

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Phylis

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Phylis: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1896–1985 (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 Phylis 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.