# Phyllis (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/phyllis/  
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 | not recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfɪlɪs/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | Phillis |
| US babies named this | 323,367 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 871 / 322,496 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 41, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

From the masculine Ancient Greek Φύλλις (Phúllis) or from the feminine Φυλλίς (Phullís).

## 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 | 20 | 6,512 |
| 2012 | 13 | 9,005 |
| 2013 | 19 | 6,664 |
| 2014 | 22 | 5,945 |
| 2015 | 22 | 5,987 |
| 2016 | 21 | 6,141 |
| 2017 | 21 | 5,988 |
| 2018 | 18 | 6,723 |
| 2019 | 15 | 7,633 |
| 2020 | 20 | 6,027 |
| 2021 | 11 | 9,403 |
| 2022 | 15 | 7,555 |
| 2023 | 7 | 13,136 |
| 2024 | 13 | 8,318 |
| 2025 | 7 | 12,873 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 5 | 4,218 |
| 1954 | 10 | 2,691 |
| 1955 | 20 | 1,774 |
| 1956 | 14 | 2,237 |
| 1957 | 9 | 2,971 |
| 1958 | 14 | 2,238 |
| 1959 | 9 | 2,985 |
| 1960 | 10 | 2,818 |
| 1961 | 16 | 2,123 |
| 1962 | 12 | 2,475 |
| 1963 | 6 | 3,923 |
| 1964 | 10 | 2,797 |
| 1965 | 7 | 3,473 |
| 1967 | 7 | 3,468 |
| 1971 | 7 | 4,275 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 4 | 3,262 |
| 2003 | 4 | 3,594 |
| 2004 | 3 | 4,598 |
| 2006 | 3 | 5,061 |
| 2010 | 3 | 5,707 |
| 2012 | 3 | 5,876 |
| 2013 | 4 | 4,739 |
| 2014 | 5 | 4,003 |
| 2016 | 3 | 5,785 |
| 2018 | 3 | 5,666 |
| 2021 | 3 | 5,581 |
| 2024 | 3 | 5,891 |

## In other languages

- German: Phyllis
- Italian: Fillide
- Turkish: Filiz

## People named Phyllis

- Phyllis Diller, American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist (1917–2012)
- Phyllis Schlafly, American conservative activist (1924-2016)
- Phyllis Smith, American actress
- Phyllis Francis, American sprinter
- Phyllis Somerville, American stage, film and television actress (1943–2020)
- Phyllis Thaxter, American actress (1919–2012)
- Phyllis A. Whitney, American writer
- Phyllis Haver, American actress (1899–1960)
- Phyllis Hyman, American rhythm-and-blues singer (1949–1995)
- Phyllis Coates, American actress (1927–2023)
- Phyllis Covell, British tennis player (1895–1982)
- Phyllis Johnson, figure skater (1886-1967)

## 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.