Philomene
Feminine · “beloved”
Philomene is the French form of Philomena, a Greek name meaning beloved. It belongs to a saint whose story rests on a single inscription, and it sounds like the old poetic name for the nightingale.
How old is the name Philomene?
Philomene first appears in US birth records in 1882 — 143 years ago. The typical Philomene alive today was born around 1916, making them about 109 years old. Fewer than a hundred people named Philomene are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
When was the name Philomene most popular?
Philomene peaked in 1885, reaching #608 nationally. See the whole 1885 chart.
Where it comes from
From philoumenē to Philomene
The story of Philomene
In a Roman catacomb, excavators found the bones of a young woman behind tiles reading peace be with you, Filumena, and a great devotion to Saint Philomena grew up, championed by the Curé of Ars; in the twentieth century the Church removed her feast from the calendar because nothing was known of her life. The name also sounds like Philomela, who in Ovid's Metamorphoses is turned into a nightingale, so that poets called the bird Philomel. French Catholic families brought Philomene to America.
Meaning
beloved
From Greek philoumenē, beloved. Philomene is the French form of Philomena.
How the name formed
- philoumenē
- Philomena
- Philomène
- Philomene
Related forms: Philomène · Filomena · Filomena · Philomena
Pronouncing Philomene
fil-oh-MEN
In French, stress at the end. English speakers may say FIL-oh-meen.
Nicknames for Philomene
Moderate
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
- 1882
- Most girls named
- 191522 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #608reached in 1885
- Change vs 1953
- 0.0%5 in 1960, from 5
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.
Philomene in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Philomène in French — same name
- Filomena in Italian — same name
- Filomena in Spanish — same name
- Philomena in English — same name
Philomenes among us
Fewer than a hundred people named Philomene are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Philomene 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
- Its meaning, beloved, is lovely and clear.
- It carries a long devotional and literary history.
- English speakers will not know where the stress falls.
- It sounds old-fashioned to many ears.
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What they receive
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Philomene
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Philomenes are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. Fewer than a hundred people named Philomene are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
- How popular is the name Philomene in 2025?
- Philomene is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Philomene with classmates?
- Philomene 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 Philomene? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Philomene and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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