Total births
322,496
Girls' name · since 1880
Phyllis
322,496 babies named Phyllis in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1947. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7975
- among girls today
- 322,496
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other girls
322,496 babies have been named Phyllis since 1880, making it today's #7975 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Phyllis recorded 322,496 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #7975 nationally today, ahead of 55% of girls, 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.
- #7975 among girls today
- 322,496 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 55% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Phyllis is currently the #7975 girls' name in America, more common than 55% of girls - 322,496 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #7975
- among girls today
- 322,496
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other girls
Phyllis vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7975
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 55% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Phyllis was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
9,187 babies were named Phyllis in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Phyllis compares
322,496 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Phyllis's all-time total is 844x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Phyllis | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 322,496 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 9,187 | 48 | 19,840 |
Phyllis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Phyllis's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 22% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 78%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1947 peak of 9,187, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Phyllis at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1947
Current rank
#7,975
Active since
1880
Phyllis popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 9,187
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Phyllis popularity over time - boys
871 total births recorded since 1913 (Phyllis as boys' name)
Phyllis by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Phyllis's strongest decade.
76,143 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Phyllis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 153
1880s
153 births
- 1890s 633
1890s
633 births
- 1900s 2,023
1900s
2,023 births
- 1910s 17,885
1910s
17,885 births
- 1920s
1920s
61,871 births
- 1930s
1930s
73,805 births
- 1940s
1940s
76,143 births
- 1950s
1950s
57,764 births
- 1960s 25,704
1960s
25,704 births
- 1970s 3,835
1970s
3,835 births
- 1980s 1,430
1980s
1,430 births
- 1990s 686
1990s
686 births
- 2000s 295
2000s
295 births
- 2010s 196
2010s
196 births
- 2020s 73
2020s
73 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 76,143 births (24% of all-time use).
How Phyllis 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 Phyllis's total volume
Phyllis vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Phyllis by state
Where Phyllis concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 29,687 | 9.2% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 20,580 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 20,195 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 20,023 | 6.2% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 15,134 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 13,607 | 4.2% |
| #7 | California | | 13,543 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 12,639 | 3.9% |
New York share of Phyllis's total US births 9.2%
Even split
29,687 of 322,496 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Phyllis appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Phyllis? ▼
322,496 babies have been named Phyllis since 1880. It currently ranks #7975 among girls. The peak year was 1947 with 9,187 births.
When was Phyllis most popular? ▼
Phyllis was most popular in the 1940s decade with 76,143 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Phyllis most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Phyllis are New York (29,687 births), Pennsylvania (20,580 births), Illinois (20,195 births).
How long has the name Phyllis been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Phyllis since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Phyllis? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Phylis, Phyliss, Phylicia, Phylliss, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Phyllis's data
- Phyllis's decade-level peak was the 1940s (76,143 total births); usage has since declined to 73 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Phylliss (29,687 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 Phyllis
Nearby Names Like Phyllis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Phyllis
Phylis Girl
3,342 births
Phyliss Girl
2,406 births
Phylicia Girl
2,381 births
Phylliss Girl
597 births
Phynix Girl
#11735 158 births
Compare Phyllis side by side: Phyllis vs Phylis Phyllis vs Phyliss Phyllis vs Phylicia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Phyllis
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. "Phyllis: #7975 Girls' Name - 322,496 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/phyllis. 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 Phyllis 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.