# Philomena (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/philomena/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | Greek |
| Meaning | “beloved” |
| Pronunciation | /ˌfɪləˈmiːnə/, 4 syllables |
| Nicknames | Phil |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 9,951 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 0 / 9,951 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 246, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

From Latin Philomēna, from Ancient Greek Φιλουμένη (Philouménē, literally “beloved”). Name of an alleged early martyr whose remains were discovered in 1802 in Rome. Doublet of Philomene.

## What it means

Philomena is grouped under love.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 41 | 3,770 |
| 2012 | 41 | 3,838 |
| 2013 | 43 | 3,626 |
| 2014 | 67 | 2,639 |
| 2015 | 78 | 2,372 |
| 2016 | 93 | 2,112 |
| 2017 | 92 | 2,106 |
| 2018 | 87 | 2,176 |
| 2019 | 92 | 2,065 |
| 2020 | 86 | 2,131 |
| 2021 | 77 | 2,361 |
| 2022 | 83 | 2,272 |
| 2023 | 80 | 2,306 |
| 2024 | 111 | 1,819 |
| 2025 | 101 | 1,920 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 10 | 2,326 |
| 2011 | 11 | 2,275 |
| 2012 | 11 | 2,338 |
| 2014 | 7 | 3,160 |
| 2015 | 11 | 2,328 |
| 2016 | 17 | 1,749 |
| 2017 | 10 | 2,502 |
| 2018 | 5 | 3,985 |
| 2019 | 13 | 2,040 |
| 2020 | 14 | 1,939 |
| 2021 | 8 | 2,942 |
| 2022 | 11 | 2,325 |
| 2023 | 11 | 2,346 |
| 2024 | 4 | 4,843 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2,788 |

## In other languages

- Catalan: Filomena
- Dutch: Filomena
- French: Philomène
- German: Philomena
- Greek: Φιλομένα
- Italian: Filomena
- Latin: Filumēna, Philomēna
- Polish: Filomena
- Portuguese: Filomena
- Russian: Филоме́на
- Spanish: Filomena

## People named Philomena

- Philomena Bair, Austrian Freestyle Skier
- Bonnie Mealing, Australian swimmer, Olympic silver medallist (1912–2002)
- Archduchess Maria Immakulata of Austria, Austrian archduchess (1878-1968)
- Clarissa Dickson Wright, English celebrity chef, television personality, businesswoman and formerly a barrister (19
- Clare Grey, British chemist and Professor of Chemistry

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.