Phocas as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Phocas

What is the meaning of the name Phocas ?

The baby name Phocas is a boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced FOH-kəs.

Phocas is Greek, Latin in Origin.

Phocas is the Latin spelling of Greek Phōkâs, written Φωκᾶς, a masculine name formed from phōkē, seal, the marine animal. The Greek noun is probably pre-Hellenic rather than Indo-European in origin; the personal name uses the suffix -âs, common in Greek masculine anthroponyms. Its literal sense is therefore seal, not a symbolic or occupational title.

Christian use centers on Saint Phocas of Sinope, a martyr from Asia Minor honored especially in Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine calendars; hagiography gives him the grave-digging episode attached to his execution. The name also belonged to the emperor Phocas, who ruled Byzantium from 602 to 610 after overthrowing Maurice. Modern use is rare, with Phokas and Fokas reflecting Greek transliteration and Focas appearing in Romance-language contexts.

⚙ Phocas is an extremely rare name. Across our dataset of national birth registries and international name records, Phocas appears only 6 times in total — found in 4 countries. If you're considering it, you'd be giving your child a name almost nobody else has.