Philicia
Feminine
Philicia is the Phylicia sound written with an i, which lets the Greek-looking phil- show plainly at the front. Read letter by letter, it even holds the Greek word philia, affection or friendship, with two letters slipped into the middle. That is a coincidence of spelling, but a pleasant one.
How old is the name Philicia?
Philicia first appears in US birth records in 1960 — 65 years ago. The typical Philicia alive today was born around 1989, making them about 36 years old. About 500 people named Philicia are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Philicia most popular?
Philicia peaked in 1991, reaching #3207 nationally. See the whole 1991 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Philicia
Philicia is a Latin-sounding name dressed in Greek letters. The ph at the front is how English writes the Greek phi, and it sits on a name whose sound, fuh-LEE-sha, comes from Felicia and its Latin happiness. Trade the y of Phylicia for an i and the word philia surfaces inside it. The letters found that on their own, and the name carries it lightly.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Philicia has no recorded meaning of its own. It belongs with Phylicia, the spelling best known through the actress Phylicia Rashad, and with Felicia, from the Latin for happiness. The Greek philia inside its letters is a resemblance rather than a source: nothing records the name being built from the word.
Pronouncing Philicia
fuh-LEE-shuh
Said like Felicia and Phylicia: the ph is an f, and ci before a vowel says sh. A reader who spots Phil at the front may start with FIL- instead.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1960
- Most girls named
- 199134 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3207reached in 1991
- Change vs 2007
- −16.7%5 in 2010, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Philicias among us
people named Philicia are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Philicia sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Said exactly like Felicia, a name with centuries of use in English.
- Looks familiar because Phylicia is widely known through Phylicia Rashad.
- Distinctive on paper without being hard to say.
- Almost everyone will write Phylicia or Felicia; the i spelling will need spelling out on nearly every form.
- The Phil- at the front invites a FIL- reading from strangers. One correction usually does it.
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Philicia
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Philicias are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Philicia are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Philicia in 2025?
- Philicia is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Philicia with classmates?
- Philicia will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More P names
The most-given names starting with P, all years combined.
Patricia#1334 · Pamela#2239 · Phyllis#11932 · Peggy#8362 · Paula#853 · Pauline#2957 · Pearl#776 · Paige#346
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Philicia? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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