The first name Philomena
A girl’s name from Greek meaning “beloved”.
Pronounced /ˌfɪləˈmiːnə/ 4 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Philomena means “beloved” in Greek.
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.
More names that mean love.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 9 girls were named Philomena, making it the 2,788th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 17 births (#1,749).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Philomena with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Philomena at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 101 girls born in the United States were named Philomena, the 1,920th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1922, when 308 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Philomena in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Philomena in German too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Philomena
Famous people named Philomena
5 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Philomena BairAustrian Freestyle Skier, born 1996
- Bonnie MealingAustralian swimmer, Olympic silver medallist (1912–2002)
- Archduchess Maria Immakulata of AustriaAustrian archduchess (1878-1968)
- Clarissa Dickson WrightEnglish celebrity chef, television personality, businesswoman and formerly a barrister (19, 1947–2014
- Clare GreyBritish chemist and Professor of Chemistry, born 1965
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Philomena mean?
- Philomena means “beloved” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Philomena?
- 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.
- How popular is the name Philomena?
- In 2025, 9 girls born in England and Wales were named Philomena, ranking 2,788th. Its peak was 2016, with 17 births.
- What are nicknames for Philomena?
- Common nicknames for Philomena include Phil.
- Is Philomena a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 9,951 US babies named Philomena since 1880 were girls.
- When was Philomena most popular?
- 1922 in the United States, when 308 babies were named Philomena, its highest rank at 371st.
- How do you pronounce Philomena?
- Philomena is /ˌfɪləˈmiːnə/, 4 syllables.