ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
Perplexity
The short answer
Philip is a masculine name used in English and Swedish. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From the Greek name Φίλιππος (Philippos) meaning ‘friend of horses’, composed of the elements φίλος (philos) meaning ‘friend, lover’ and ἵππος (hippos) meaning ‘horse’. This was the name of five kings of Macedon, including Philip II the father of Alexander the Great." It ranked #528 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from the Greek name Φίλιππος (Philippos) meaning ‘friend of horses’, composed of the elements φίλος (philos) meaning ‘friend, lover’ and ἵππος (hippos) meaning ‘horse’. This was the name of five kings of Macedon, including Philip II the father of Alexander the Great. The entry lists its usage as English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and others.
Editorial confidence: established
Popularity
Philip ranked #528 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #528 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Philip in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Philip mean?
Philip means "friend of horses", according to Behind the Name.
Is Philip a popular name?
Philip ranked #528 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Philip a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Philip appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Philip — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
