Phill
Masculine · “Short for Philip”
Phill is Phil with a double l, the short form of Philip given as a name of its own. The most famous Phil in America is a groundhog, and the Greek phil- inside the name hides in one of the oddest hobby words in English.
How old is the name Phill?
Phill first appears in US birth records in 1900 — 125 years ago. The typical Phill alive today was born around 1947, making them about 78 years old. About 300 people named Phill are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Phill most popular?
Phill peaked in 1900, reaching #1050 nationally. See the whole 1900 chart.
Where it comes from
From Philippos to Phill
The story of Phill
Every second of February since 1887, the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, has hauled a groundhog called Phil out of his burrow at Gobbler's Knob to see whether he sees his shadow and predicts six more weeks of winter. Philately, the collecting of stamps, was coined in 1864 by a French collector from Greek philos, 'loving', and ateleia, 'freedom from tax', because a stamp showed that postage had already been paid. Phill, with its double l, is a spelling of the short form given as a full name.
Meaning
Short for Philip, 'lover of horses'
Philip comes from Greek Philippos, 'lover of horses'. Phill is a spelling of the short form.
How the name formed
- Philippos
- Philip
- Phil
- Phill
Related forms: Phil · Philip
Pronouncing Phill
FIL
One syllable.
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
- 1900
- Most boys named
- 194720 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1050reached in 1900
- Change vs 1997
- −28.6%5 in 2005, from 7
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.
Phill in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Phil in English — spelling variant
- Philip in English — related form
Phills among us
people named Phill 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
Phill 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
- Short and instantly familiar.
- A settled Greek meaning.
- Distinct on paper.
- Almost everyone will write Phil.
- People will assume it is a nickname and ask for the full name.
- The groundhog jokes come every February.
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What they receive
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Phill
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Phills are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 300 people named Phill are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Phill in 2025?
- Phill is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Phill with classmates?
- Phill will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More P names
The most-given names starting with P, all years combined.
Paul#262 · Patrick#235 · Peter#187 · Philip#527 · Phillip#651 · Parker#102 · Preston#299 · Pedro#455
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Phill? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Phill and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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