Phil
Meaning: “fond of horses”
About the name Phil
Phil is a boy name with Ancient Greek roots, meaning “fond of horses”. It is related to Philip, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a vintage, unique, short & sweet feel. In 2025, Phil ranked #8078 for boys in the US, with 10 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1959. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Phil were boys.
Etymology
A short form of Philip, which comes from Ancient Greek, meaning “fond of horses”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Phil”, “Philip”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #8078
- In 2015
- #5459
- Babies in 2025
- 10
Popularity of Phil, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Phil
Phil is already short and sweet, so it doesn't usually get a nickname.
Names similar to Phil
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.