Phyllis
Phyllis was the 12873rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1929, when it ranked 24th; the most babies were born in 1947 (9,187). Over the last ten years it has moved down 6,886 places. More babies were named Phyllis in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning foliage (Greek) · Greek
Say it FIL-iss /ˈfɪlɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #12,873 girls, down 6,846 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19479,187 babies
- Total since 1880
- 323,367babies recorded
What does the name Phyllis mean?
Phyllis is a Greek name meaning 'foliage, leafy', from phyllon 'leaf', as Wiktionary notes. In Greek myth Phyllis was a Thracian princess who died of grief when her lover Demophon did not return, and was turned into an almond tree. Roman and English pastoral poets used the name for country girls. It was popular in the US in the 1920s to 1940s.
φύλλον (phyllon) (Ancient Greek, “leaf”)Φυλλίς (Phyllis) (Ancient Greek, “leafy (name)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Phillis, Phyllida.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Phyllis', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'φύλλον', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Phyllis
The usual nicknames for Phyllis are Phyl.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phyl | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Phylliss go by each one.
Phyllis popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 871 since 1913.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,873 | 7 |
| 2020 | #6,027 | 20 |
| 2010 | #5,558 | 25 |
| 2000 | #3,389 | 40 |
| 1990 | #1,729 | 85 |
| 1980 | #857 | 181 |
| 1970 | #341 | 767 |
| 1960 | #108 | 4,435 |
| 1950 | #53 | 6,695 |
| 1940 | #33 | 7,416 |
| 1930 | #28 | 7,770 |
| 1920 | #72 | 3,852 |
| 1910 | #175 | 392 |
| 1900 | #297 | 124 |
| 1890 | #391 | 42 |
| 1880 | #820 | 6 |
How popular is Phyllis, counting every spelling?
Phyllis has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Phyllis?
7 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Phyllis (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Phyllis 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 1,224 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Phyllis.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Phyllis?
About 133,600 people born in the US named Phyllis are alive today, with a median age of 75; half are between 68 and 82. That makes Phyllis a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Phyllis: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Phyllis, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Phyllis
What does Phyllis mean?
Phyllis means “foliage (Greek)” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Phyllis?
Phyllis was the 12873rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1929, when it ranked 24th; the most babies were born in 1947 (9,187). Over the last ten years it has moved down 6,886 places. More babies were named Phyllis in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Phyllis a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Phyllis in the US.