Phoebe
Phoebe was the 157th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,885 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 131 places. More babies were named Phoebe in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning bright, shining · Greek
Say it FEE-bee /ˈfibi/
- Rank in 2025
- #157 girls, up 97 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,885girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,885 babies
- Total since 1880
- 43,663babies recorded
What does the name Phoebe mean?
Phoebe is the Greek Phoibe, the feminine of Phoibos, 'bright, shining, pure', a title of the god Apollo. In myth Phoebe is a Titan linked with the moon, and the name was also used of Artemis, as Wikipedia notes. DMNES adds that Phoebe is a woman Paul commends in his letter to the Romans, later honored as a saint, and that the name was rare before the 16th century. The Wycliffite Bible spelled it Feben.
Φοίβη (Ancient Greek, “Phoibe”)φοῖβος (Ancient Greek, “bright, pure”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Phebe, Febe, Phoebus.
See also: Greek names, names that mean light.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Phoebe', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- New Testament, Romans 16:1 (Greek text and translations via Bible Gateway), Bible Gateway
- Wiktionary, entry 'Phoebe', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Phoebe (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Phoebe popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 2004.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #157 | 1,885 |
| 2020 | #254 | 1,181 |
| 2010 | #308 | 1,040 |
| 2000 | #440 | 642 |
| 1990 | #872 | 224 |
| 1980 | #1,455 | 84 |
| 1970 | #1,082 | 111 |
| 1960 | #997 | 117 |
| 1950 | #893 | 99 |
| 1940 | #566 | 150 |
| 1930 | #533 | 164 |
| 1920 | #457 | 220 |
| 1910 | #420 | 89 |
| 1900 | #395 | 71 |
| 1890 | #289 | 74 |
| 1880 | #217 | 50 |
How popular is Phoebe, counting every spelling?
Phoebe is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #183 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #157 for Phoebe on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,907 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoebe | 1,885 | #157 | 7,747 |
| Phebe | 22 | #5,669 | 131 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Phoebe?
1,885 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Phoebe (0.52 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Phoebe born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Phoebe.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Phoebe?
About 35,600 people born in the US named Phoebe are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 7 and 25. That makes Phoebe mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Phoebe by state
How common Phoebe was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (11.2×), Maine (5.1×), Alaska (3.6×), District of Columbia (3.5×), New Hampshire (2.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Delaware, Florida, Texas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Phoebe: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Phoebe, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Phoebe · Sibling names for Phoebe
Questions about the name Phoebe
What does Phoebe mean?
Phoebe means “bright, shining” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Phoebe?
Phoebe was the 157th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,885 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 131 places. More babies were named Phoebe in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Phoebe a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Phoebe in the US.
Where is Phoebe most popular?
In 2021–2025, Phoebe was most common in Vermont (10.73 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maine and Alaska.