Skip to main content

Updated August 7, 2024

Table of contents

Boy name origins & meanings

  • Greek : Horse lover

How Popular Is The Name Philip

Family name origins & meanings

  • Scottish, Dutch, English, South Indian, etc. : from the Greek name Philippos (from philein ‘to love’ + hippos ‘horse’). In the New Testament this name is borne by one of the apostles; it was also borne by various other early Christian saints. It owes part of its popularity to the medieval romances about Alexander the Great, whose father was Philip of Macedon. As a Highland Scottish surname, it represents an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Fhilib ‘son of Philip’. In North America, this surname has absorbed some cases of cognate names in other languages (e.g. French Philippe, Greek Philippos, Italian Filippi, Spanish Felipe, Catalan Felip, and their derivatives). As a Jewish name, it represents a borrowing of the personal name from Christians.

Join the Family

Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.

Subscribe