Philip is a distinctive choice, ranked #461 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Philip in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#461
US Rank #521
About the Name Philip
Philip has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 102 places in five years. It was most popular in 1996 at #103 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Philip is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it sits at #521 — notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Philip
Unlikely. With around 87 UK babies named Philip per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Philip in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Philip has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 102 places in the last five years. Its peak was #103 in 1996. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Philip is more popular in the UK (#461) than in the US (#521). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Philip include: Philip Glenister — Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor.; Philip V of Spain — Philip V was king of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724 and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746.; Philip IV of Spain — Philip IV (Spanish: Felipe Domingo Victor de la Cruz de Austria y Austria, Portuguese: Filipe III; 8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665), also called the Planet....
Philip ranks #521 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
87
UK babies named Philip (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 102 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Philip
Likely around 1 other Philip in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Philip
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Philip II, sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (Spanish: Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He was also jure uxoris King of England and Ireland from his marriage to Queen Mary I in 1554 until her death in 1558.
Philip the Handsome, also called Philip the Fair, was ruler of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1482, including the counties of Artois, Burgundy and Charolais from 1493, and the first king of Castile from the House of Habsburg in 1506. Philip was the son of Maximilian I of Austria and Mary of Burgundy.
Philip V was king of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724 and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign (45 years, 9 months and 8 days) is the longest in the history of the Spanish monarchy, surpassing Philip IV.
Philip IV (Spanish: Felipe Domingo Victor de la Cruz de Austria y Austria, Portuguese: Filipe III; 8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: Rey Planeta), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the arts, including such artists as Diego Velázquez, and his rule over Spain during the Thirty Years' War.
Sir Philip William Burne-Jones, 2nd Baronet was a Victorian Era British aristocrat, whose life and professional career as a painter spanned into the Edwardian. He was the first child of more famed British Pre-Raphaelite artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones and his wife Georgiana Macdonald, and a cousin of both author Rudyard Kipling and prime minister Stanley Baldwin.
Philip Astley was an English equestrian, circus owner, and inventor, regarded as being the "father of the modern circus". Modern circus, as an integrated entertainment experience that includes music, domesticated animals, acrobats, and clowns, traces its heritage to Astley's Amphitheatre, a riding school that Astley founded in London following the success of trick-riding displays given by him and his wife Patty Jones in 1768.