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Phoebe Name Meaning, Origins & History

Phoebe

Pronunciation: FEE-bee

Meaning Bright, shining Origin Ancient Greek Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#157
TREND
26
Peak Years
2025, 2024, 2023
Lowest Years
1881, 1880, 1906
Energy Archetype
Intellectual & Expressive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Phoebe in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Phoebe

  • More than 43 thousand babies named Phoebe: U.S. records list 43,648 babies given the name Phoebe from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 boys received the name Phoebe - about 1 boy for every 8,729 girls.

What Does the Name Phoebe Mean?

Phoebe is a feminine name of Greek origin. It is the feminine form of the Greek adjective phoibos (φοῖβος), "bright, radiant, shining," which was also an epithet of Apollo. The feminine form Phoibē (Φοίβη) is the direct source of the name. The literal meaning is "bright" or "radiant." Because Apollo was associated with prophecy, some later interpretations link the name to prophetic light, but that is a symbolic reading rather than a separate etymology.

Phoebe Name History & Origins

In Greek myth, Phoebe was a Titaness, a daughter of Uranus and Gaia and the wife of Coeus. She was the mother of Leto and Asteria, which made her the grandmother of Artemis and Apollo. Some ancient accounts place her at Delphi: she is said to have held or passed on the oracle there before it came to Apollo. The masculine Phoibos was used for Apollo, especially in poetry.

The name also appears in the New Testament. In Romans 16:1 - 2, Paul commends Phoebe, a servant or deacon of the church at Cenchreae, and calls her a benefactor of many people, including himself. This Christian use helped carry the name into later European languages through the Latin form Phoebe.

In English, the name was known by the late 16th century; Shakespeare used it for a shepherdess in As You Like It, written around 1599. That literary appearance is a famous use, not the name's origin. The name also appears in forms such as French Phébé, Italian Febe, Spanish Febe, and German Phöbe.

How Popular is the Name Phoebe?

Phoebe recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #157 in 2025.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Phoebe Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.

You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.

✦ Phoebe's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Phoebe's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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