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Philippa as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Philippa

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The baby name Philippa is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced fi-LIP-ə /fɪˈlɪpə/.

Philippa is English, Greek in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 3.0
Origin: English, Greek
Pronunciation: fi-LIP-ə /fɪˈlɪpə/

What is the meaning of the name Philippa ?

The baby name Philippa is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced fi-LIP-ə /fɪˈlɪpə/.

Philippa is English, Greek in Origin.

Philippa is the feminine form of Philip, from Ancient Greek Philippos (philos "friend, lover" + hippos "horse"), hence "lover of horses." The name moved into Latin as Philippa and into medieval vernaculars via Old French and Middle English, settling in English as Philippa.

It appears across medieval Europe, borne by queens and nobles such as Philippa of Hainault (consort of Edward III of England) and Philippa of Lancaster (queen of Portugal), later maintaining genteel British currency and enjoying a 20th-century revival. Today it is familiar in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, but rare in the United States. International variants include Filippa (Italian, Scandinavian), Filipa (Portuguese), Felipa (Spanish), Philippine (French), and Philippina/Filipina in some Central European traditions; diminutives and short forms include Pippa, Pip, Pippy, and Philly. The brisk nickname Pippa has boosted modern appeal while preserving the name's classical, equestrian charm.

Philippa has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Philippa

Philippa Coulthard Actor · Born 1992 · United States Philippa Coulthard is an Australian actress best known for playing Jorjie in K-9, as well as Amber Mitchell in Lightning Point and Helen Schlegel in the BBC adaptation of Howards End. She began performing on stage at age four in 1996, starting out with dance classes at Promenade Dance School.

Philippa – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 874
Germany Girls 2025 #1 411
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
MT 0 #42 2 1,767
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
Switzerland Girls 2024 #122 14 1,786
CY Girls 0 #122 4 3,755
MT Girls 0 #140 12 3,773
Belgium Girls 2024 #153 33 424
Sweden Girls 2022 #171 9 1,568
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
PS 0 #225 2 5,692
BG Girls 0 #227 5 3,559
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
GR Girls 0 #245 5 6,293
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
Canada Girls 2024 #276 10 2,795
JM Girls 0 #276 3 7,507
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
DK Girls 0 #303 14 7,429
GH Girls 0 #313 12 6,973
QA Girls 0 #339 5 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
France Girls 2021 #355 51 3,185
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
ZA 0 #417 31 14,421
OM Girls 0 #424 1 15,987
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
PT Girls 0 #466 6 7,952
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
AE Girls 0 #544 10 20,968
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
PS Girls 0 #546 2 10,981
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
SG Girls 0 #627 6 18,916
IL Girls 0 #642 4 11,648
HK Girls 0 #645 6 16,104
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
Finland Girls 2026 #719 20 3,895
NG Girls 0 #753 34 15,093
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
Germany Girls 0 #802 37 4,949
United States Girls 2024 #851 66 8,487
CL Girls 0 #913 3 14,098
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
NL Girls 0 #932 24 5,933
Spain Girls 0 #966 18 5,561
ZA Girls 0 #976 166 25,928
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
SA Girls 0 #1,013 2 25,931
MY Girls 0 #1,070 3 24,821
IT Girls 0 #1,416 31 9,415

Philippa is popular in 45 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland
France
Switzerland
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Philippa

Philippa is predominantly a girl's name.
Philippa is a 3 syllable name, pronounced fi-LIP-ə /fɪˈlɪpə/.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Philippa, Phillippa, Philipa, Filippa, Filipa and Pippa.
Across languages, Philippa has these equivalents: Philip (male, English), Philippos (Greek, original), Felipe (male, Spanish), Philippe (male, French), Filippa/Filipa (feminine equivalents in other languages).
Yes, very popular — Philippa ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 10 countries.
Philippa ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Philippa's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 1 notable people named Philippa are in our database, including Philippa Coulthard (Actor).