girl's name
Philomena
- Origin Dutch
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 9
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 11,658
Philomena is a girl's name with 4 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 101 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Philomena is a name of Dutch origin.
- Peaked in 1922, when 308 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 32,826 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Philomena 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 | 140 |
| 1890s | 296 |
| 1900s | 613 |
| 1910s | 2,071 |
| 1920s | 2,711 |
| 1930s | 1,070 |
| 1940s | 547 |
| 1950s | 534 |
| 1960s | 239 |
| 1970s | 115 |
| 1980s | 72 |
| 1990s | 122 |
| 2000s | 218 |
| 2010s | 665 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 538 |
How popular is Philomena?
In 2025, Philomena was given to 101 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Philomena 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 Philomena
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Philomena also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Philomena over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Philomena in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Philomina
Sibling names for Philomena
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Philomena — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Philomena
How popular is the name Philomena?
In 2025, Philomena was given to 101 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Philomena a girl's or a boy's name?
Philomena is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Philomena?
Philomena has 4 syllables.
When was Philomena most popular?
Philomena peaked in 1922, when 308 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Philomena a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Philomena currently ranks #1,064 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.