girl's name

Philippa

  • Origin Greek
  • Gender Girl
  • Syllables 3
  • Letters 8
  • Popularity Uncommon
  • Births on record 7,884

England and Wales

#338

2025 births

Philippa is a girl's name with 3 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 61 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

  • Philippa is a name of Greek origin.
  • Peaked in England and Wales in 1996, when 289 babies were given the name.
  • Its usage has held steady over the past decade in England and Wales.
  • Today about 1 in 4,117 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
  • First appears in birth records in 1996.
  • 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.

Philippa over time

Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.

1,434
'90 '00 '10 '20
Show the numbers
Births named Philippa by decade in England and Wales
Decade Births
1990s 1,031
2000s 1,388
2010s 1,434
2020s (to 2025) 721

How popular is Philippa?

In 2025, Philippa was given to 128 babies in England and Wales, ranking #338 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

Where Philippa is used

England & Wales #338 128 in 2025
Northern Ireland #486 3 in 2018
Scotland #566 5 in 2024
Ireland #572 6 in 2025
France #649 65 in 2025
Canada #2,157 10 in 2024
United States #2,791 61 in 2025

The bar shows how near the top of each country's list the name sits, on a scale where #1 fills the row and #1,000 is a sliver. The figures beside it are the real rank and the babies recorded that year.

Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.

Names that peaked alongside Philippa

These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.

Parents who like Philippa also like

Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Philippa over the last century — the same taste, a different name.

2 nicknames for Philippa

Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.

Every name with built-in nicknames →

Sibling names for Philippa

Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Philippa — the two things that make a sibling set grate.

Common questions about Philippa

How popular is the name Philippa?

In 2025, Philippa was given to 128 babies in England and Wales, ranking #338 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

Is Philippa a girl's or a boy's name?

Philippa is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.

How many syllables are in Philippa?

Philippa has 3 syllables.

When was Philippa most popular?

Philippa peaked in 1996, when 289 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.

What are the nicknames for Philippa?

Philippa is usually shortened to Pippa and Pip.

Is Philippa a good name?

That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Philippa currently ranks #338 in England and Wales. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.