Fun Facts About the Name Phyllis
- An established favorite: Phyllis held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 44 consecutive years, from 1915 through 1958.
- More than 323 thousand babies named Phyllis: U.S. records list 323,368 babies given the name Phyllis from 1880 through 2025. Even 871 boys received the name Phyllis - about 1 boy for every 370 girls.
What Does the Name Phyllis Mean?
Phyllis is a feminine name from ancient Greek, usually understood to mean 'foliage' or 'green leaves.' It comes from the Greek noun φύλλον (phyllon), meaning 'leaf,' with the feminine ending -ις (-is). The literal sense is leafy growth; any symbolic link with spring or nature is a later interpretation, not part of the etymology. Phyllis is not a feminine form of Philip: Philip derives from the Greek name Philippos, meaning 'horse-loving.'
Phyllis Name History & Origins
The name is the Latinized form of Greek Φυλλίς (Phyllis). In one well-known version of the Greek myth, Phyllis was a Thracian princess who married Demophon, son of Theseus, after the Trojan War. He left her with a promise to return; when he did not, she died and was transformed into an almond tree. The story was retold in Ovid's Heroides, where Phyllis writes to Demophon, and Phyllis became a conventional name for a shepherdess in pastoral poetry.
English use of Phyllis as a given name comes from this classical tradition. The spelling preserves the Latin form, including the Greek-derived y. Phillis is an older English variant spelling.
How Popular is the Name Phyllis?
Phyllis remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1915 to 1958. Its highest annual birth count was in 1947, and people born that year turn 79 in 2026.
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.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,873 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #8,282 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #13,126 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #7,549 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #9,403 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #6,024 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2019 | #7,630 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #6,723 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2017 | #5,987 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2016 | #6,141 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2015 | #5,984 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2014 | #5,945 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2013 | #6,663 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2012 | #9,004 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #6,511 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #5,557 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2009 | #6,046 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2008 | #6,751 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2007 | #5,859 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2006 | #5,508 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2005 | #4,464 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2004 | #5,042 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2003 | #4,503 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2002 | #3,782 | 35 | 0.0019% |
| 2001 | #3,300 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2000 | #3,389 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 1999 | #3,092 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1998 | #2,881 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 1997 | #2,384 | 56 | 0.0032% |
| 1996 | #2,011 | 70 | 0.0040% |
| 1995 | #2,000 | 69 | 0.0039% |
| 1994 | #2,040 | 69 | 0.0039% |
| 1993 | #1,720 | 87 | 0.0048% |
| 1992 | #1,825 | 79 | 0.0043% |
| 1991 | #1,764 | 82 | 0.0044% |
| 1990 | #1,729 | 85 | 0.0045% |
| 1989 | #1,516 | 95 | 0.0052% |
| 1988 | #1,276 | 115 | 0.0065% |
| 1987 | #1,204 | 120 | 0.0069% |
| 1986 | #1,268 | 107 | 0.0062% |
| 1985 | #1,124 | 129 | 0.0075% |
| 1984 | #959 | 151 | 0.0090% |
| 1983 | #883 | 172 | 0.0103% |
| 1982 | #869 | 178 | 0.0105% |
| 1981 | #856 | 182 | 0.0109% |
| 1980 | #857 | 181 | 0.0109% |
| 1979 | #782 | 204 | 0.0127% |
| 1978 | #713 | 222 | 0.0145% |
| 1977 | #665 | 238 | 0.0155% |
| 1976 | #644 | 241 | 0.0164% |
| 1975 | #531 | 325 | 0.0223% |
| 1974 | #548 | 307 | 0.0209% |
| 1973 | #457 | 404 | 0.0277% |
| 1972 | #399 | 503 | 0.0331% |
| 1971 | #374 | 625 | 0.0376% |
| 1970 | #341 | 767 | 0.0439% |
| 1969 | #301 | 904 | 0.0536% |
| 1968 | #251 | 1,087 | 0.0663% |
| 1967 | #215 | 1,396 | 0.0846% |
| 1966 | #173 | 1,938 | 0.1145% |
| 1965 | #155 | 2,464 | 0.1396% |
| 1964 | #140 | 2,895 | 0.1528% |
| 1963 | #130 | 3,246 | 0.1684% |
| 1962 | #129 | 3,496 | 0.1778% |
| 1961 | #120 | 3,841 | 0.1903% |
| 1960 | #108 | 4,437 | 0.2194% |
| 1959 | #104 | 4,684 | 0.2315% |
| 1958 | #94 | 5,083 | 0.2527% |
| 1957 | #90 | 5,305 | 0.2594% |
| 1956 | #82 | 5,642 | 0.2810% |
| 1955 | #74 | 5,690 | 0.2910% |
| 1954 | #75 | 5,763 | 0.2968% |
| 1953 | #69 | 5,962 | 0.3169% |
| 1952 | #65 | 6,151 | 0.3317% |
| 1951 | #57 | 6,791 | 0.3771% |
| 1950 | #53 | 6,695 | 0.3908% |
| 1949 | #50 | 7,315 | 0.4276% |
| 1948 | #46 | 7,876 | 0.4639% |
| 1947 | #37 | 9,187 | 0.5182% |
| 1946 | #41 | 8,048 | 0.5122% |
| 1945 | #40 | 6,530 | 0.4996% |
| 1944 | #40 | 7,022 | 0.5291% |
| 1943 | #39 | 7,609 | 0.5453% |
| 1942 | #37 | 7,793 | 0.5770% |
| 1941 | #35 | 7,346 | 0.6080% |
| 1940 | #33 | 7,416 | 0.6485% |
| 1939 | #30 | 7,590 | 0.6921% |
| 1938 | #28 | 7,644 | 0.6927% |
| 1937 | #27 | 7,245 | 0.6809% |
| 1936 | #25 | 7,374 | 0.7088% |
| 1935 | #27 | 7,369 | 0.7028% |
| 1934 | #28 | 7,180 | 0.6876% |
| 1933 | #28 | 7,111 | 0.7055% |
| 1932 | #30 | 7,308 | 0.6848% |
| 1931 | #29 | 7,213 | 0.6775% |
| 1930 | #28 | 7,770 | 0.6901% |
| 1929 | #24 | 7,995 | 0.7160% |
| 1928 | #26 | 7,924 | 0.6871% |
| 1927 | #29 | 7,425 | 0.6227% |
| 1926 | #33 | 6,921 | 0.5839% |
| 1925 | #40 | 6,486 | 0.5328% |
| 1924 | #44 | 6,267 | 0.5018% |
| 1923 | #45 | 5,476 | 0.4539% |
| 1922 | #53 | 4,935 | 0.4109% |
| 1921 | #60 | 4,590 | 0.3722% |
| 1920 | #72 | 3,852 | 0.3215% |
| 1919 | #84 | 3,189 | 0.2822% |
| 1918 | #80 | 3,326 | 0.2873% |
| 1917 | #92 | 2,696 | 0.2493% |
| 1916 | #95 | 2,427 | 0.2324% |
| 1915 | #100 | 2,088 | 0.2122% |
| 1914 | #113 | 1,407 | 0.1847% |
| 1913 | #122 | 1,054 | 0.1688% |
| 1912 | #140 | 779 | 0.1396% |
| 1911 | #155 | 527 | 0.1260% |
| 1910 | #175 | 392 | 0.0989% |
| 1909 | #172 | 352 | 0.1014% |
| 1908 | #194 | 288 | 0.0861% |
| 1907 | #200 | 262 | 0.0822% |
| 1906 | #225 | 195 | 0.0660% |
| 1905 | #235 | 183 | 0.0628% |
| 1904 | #229 | 181 | 0.0657% |
| 1903 | #245 | 150 | 0.0573% |
| 1902 | #237 | 164 | 0.0621% |
| 1901 | #261 | 124 | 0.0518% |
| 1900 | #297 | 124 | 0.0414% |
| 1899 | #272 | 111 | 0.0476% |
| 1898 | #299 | 108 | 0.0417% |
| 1897 | #359 | 67 | 0.0286% |
| 1896 | #350 | 69 | 0.0290% |
| 1895 | #350 | 65 | 0.0278% |
| 1894 | #375 | 56 | 0.0251% |
| 1893 | #373 | 53 | 0.0249% |
| 1892 | #495 | 31 | 0.0146% |
| 1891 | #469 | 31 | 0.0167% |
| 1890 | #391 | 42 | 0.0221% |
| 1889 | #510 | 25 | 0.0140% |
| 1888 | #466 | 29 | 0.0162% |
| 1887 | #533 | 18 | 0.0123% |
| 1886 | #506 | 20 | 0.0138% |
| 1885 | #689 | 11 | 0.0083% |
| 1884 | #537 | 16 | 0.0124% |
| 1883 | #512 | 15 | 0.0134% |
| 1882 | #725 | 8 | 0.0074% |
| 1881 | #919 | 5 | 0.0054% |
| 1880 | #820 | 6 | 0.0066% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | #4,275 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #3,466 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #3,474 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #2,796 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #3,924 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #2,474 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1961 | #2,122 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1960 | #2,818 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #2,985 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #2,236 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1957 | #2,971 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1956 | #2,237 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1955 | #1,774 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1954 | #2,691 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1953 | #4,218 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #2,471 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1951 | #2,029 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1950 | #2,408 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1949 | #1,807 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1948 | #1,929 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1947 | #1,837 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1946 | #1,462 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 1945 | #1,568 | 19 | 0.0014% |
| 1944 | #1,230 | 30 | 0.0022% |
| 1943 | #1,334 | 28 | 0.0020% |
| 1942 | #1,374 | 26 | 0.0019% |
| 1941 | #1,293 | 27 | 0.0022% |
| 1940 | #1,151 | 34 | 0.0029% |
| 1939 | #1,385 | 24 | 0.0022% |
| 1938 | #1,165 | 32 | 0.0029% |
| 1937 | #1,307 | 27 | 0.0025% |
| 1936 | #1,495 | 21 | 0.0020% |
| 1935 | #1,220 | 31 | 0.0030% |
| 1934 | #1,486 | 22 | 0.0021% |
| 1933 | #1,248 | 29 | 0.0029% |
| 1932 | #1,415 | 25 | 0.0024% |
| 1931 | #1,525 | 22 | 0.0021% |
| 1930 | #1,417 | 27 | 0.0025% |
| 1929 | #1,595 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1928 | #1,554 | 24 | 0.0022% |
| 1927 | #1,854 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1926 | #2,055 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1925 | #2,062 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1924 | #1,954 | 18 | 0.0016% |
| 1923 | #4,742 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #2,956 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1921 | #3,163 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1918 | #3,626 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1917 | #2,688 | 10 | 0.0011% |
| 1916 | #4,352 | 5 | 0.0006% |
| 1915 | #4,266 | 5 | 0.0006% |
| 1914 | #2,847 | 7 | 0.0011% |
| 1913 | #3,155 | 5 | 0.0010% |
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.
