How common is the surname Phelps?

52,044 people in the United States had the surname Phelps in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 5,932 Americans. It ranked 657th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Phelps?

Michael Phelps, American swimmer (born 1985), followed by Edmund Phelps.

Where is the surname Phelps most common?

Wikidata records people named Phelps in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and 1 other country.

How do you pronounce Phelps?

Phelps is /fɛlps/, one syllable.

Is the surname Phelps getting more or less common?

More common. 51,154 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 52,044 in 2010, up 1.7%.

Is Phelps also a first name?

Yes. Phelps is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Phelps

A patronymic surname, carried by 52,044 people in the United States.

Pronounced /fɛlps/ 1 syllable Soundex P412

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Phelps is more common than 99.6% of them.

Origin

From Philip + genitive (mainly patronymic) suffix -s.

Phelps is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 52,044 people named Phelps in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 5,932 Americans. That is up 1.7% since 2000, when the Census counted 51,154.

#657

rank among US surnames

52,044

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+1.7%

change since 2000 (was #598)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#648	Gates	52,569	5,873
#649	Chase	52,481	5,883
#650	Sosa	52,457	5,886
#651	Sweeney	52,410	5,891
#652	Farrell	52,321	5,901
#653	Wyatt	52,211	5,913
#654	Dalton	52,184	5,916

Who is named Phelps

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

85% of people named Phelps identified as white (not Hispanic), 9.7% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.3% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 85%
Black (not Hispanic) 9.7%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.3%
Two or more races 1.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.5%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Phelpss

24 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Michael Phelps
American swimmer (born 1985)
Edmund Phelps
American economist, 1933–2026
Fred Phelps
American pastor and activist (1929-2014)
Oliver Phelps
British actor, born 1986
Clarice Phelps
African American nuclear chemist, born 1981
Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps
American educator, botanist, author (1793-1884)
James Phelps
British actor, born 1986
Jaycie Phelps
American gymnast, born 1979
Peter Phelps
Australian actor, born 1960
William Henry Phelps
American ornithologist and businessman (1875-1965)
Mason Phelps
Amateur golfer (1885-1945)
Lee Phelps
American actor (1893–1953)

Notable Phelpss come mostly from the United States (20), the United Kingdom (2) and Australia (1).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Phelps

Phelps has the Soundex code P412, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code P412.

Questions

Where does the surname Phelps come from?: From Philip + genitive (mainly patronymic) suffix -s.
How common is the surname Phelps?: 52,044 people in the United States had the surname Phelps in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 5,932 Americans. It ranked 657th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Phelps?: In the 2010 Census, 85% of people named Phelps identified as white (not Hispanic), and 9.7% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Phelps?: Michael Phelps, American swimmer (born 1985), followed by Edmund Phelps.
Where is the surname Phelps most common?: Wikidata records people named Phelps in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and 1 other country.
How do you pronounce Phelps?: Phelps is /fɛlps/, one syllable.
What type of surname is Phelps?: Phelps is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Phelps getting more or less common?: More common. 51,154 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 52,044 in 2010, up 1.7%.
Is Phelps also a first name?: Yes. Phelps is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.