boy's name
Phil
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 20,226
Phil is a boy's name with 1 syllable. In 2025 it was given to 10 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1959, when 677 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 331,565 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Phil over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 169 |
| 1890s | 179 |
| 1900s | 218 |
| 1910s | 943 |
| 1920s | 1,537 |
| 1930s | 2,571 |
| 1940s | 4,590 |
| 1950s | 3,793 |
| 1960s | 4,058 |
| 1970s | 889 |
| 1980s | 457 |
| 1990s | 315 |
| 2000s | 198 |
| 2010s | 139 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 52 |
How popular is Phil?
In 2025, Phil was given to 10 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Phil is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Phil
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Phil also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Phil over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Phil
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Phil — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Phil
How popular is the name Phil?
In 2025, Phil was given to 10 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Phil a girl's or a boy's name?
Phil is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Phil?
Phil has 1 syllable.
When was Phil most popular?
Phil peaked in 1959, when 677 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Phil a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Phil currently ranks #8,131 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.