PHILIPPS

Philip is a given name of ancient Greek origin. The Latinised form Philipus first appears in England around the year 1150 in the Gilbertine Houses Charters of Lincolnshire. The name derives from the Greek Philippos, a compound of philein “to love” and hippos “horse”, and is therefore frequently translated as “lover of horses”. In medieval England the name was adopted in a patronymic form, with the suffix -s being added to the base name to indicate “son of Philip”. Thus the number of individuals bearing the surname Philipps can be traced back to the later half of the thirteenth century, with the first recorded instance of the surname belonging to Henry Philip in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk (1275) during the reign of King Edward the First.

The proliferation of the name Philip in Europe was largely due to the fame of Philip the Macedonian, father of Alexander the Great. As a result, the patronymic surname Philipps, and its variants, spread throughout England and Wales from the Norman Conquest onward. By the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the name appears in a wide range of spelling variations, reflecting regional pronunciation and the lack of standardised orthography. Notable variants include Philipp, Phelips, Phelp, Phillott and Philpott. A French‑influenced form, Phalp, appears in the marriage record of Elizabeth Phalpe and Rafe Quarterman in Great Milton, Oxfordshire (1586).

The surname Philipps continues to be recognised in several European countries, with the most significant concentrations found in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. A 2019 review of global surname distribution indicates that around four thousand people in Germany bear the name, more than one thousand in Belgium and roughly seven hundred in the Netherlands. In the United States the surname is much rarer, with a reported population of six hundred and twenty‑six, the majority of whom reside in California, Texas and Ohio, particularly in more populated urban areas.

Related surnames of the same Greek origin are numerous. They include Phillips, Philips, Filipps, Phipps, Fipps and Philipson. In continental Europe these forms often become anglicised when brought to English‑speaking contexts. Likewise, Italian and Spanish adaptations such as Philips and Fillips reflect the migration of the name across linguistic boundaries. The diversity of orthographic representations illustrates the widespread popularity of the original Greek personal name and its enduring legacy within English‑speaking societies.

Typical given names associated with the Philipps surname

Male

• Alexander
• Andrew
• Benjamin
• Brian
• David
• Euan
• Gavin
• James
• Jeremy
• John
• Rhodri
• Richard

Female

• Alison
• Catherine
• Charlotte
• Cheryl
• Christine
• Daphne
• Elizabeth
• Georgina
• Nicola
• Sarah
• Shirley
• Suzanne

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Philipps in...

Braille

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Morse

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Semaphore

Surname type: From name of parent

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Philipps

• Busy Philipps - American actress
• Rhodri Philipps, 4th Viscount St Davids - Peer with criminal convictions for financial mismanagement and for malicious communications
• Owen Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant - Politician (1863 to 1937)
• Colwyn Philipps, 3rd Viscount St Davids - Businessman, Conservative politician and writer on music (1939 to 2009)
• Nicola Philipps - Artist
• Wogan Philipps, 2nd Baron Milford - Baron (1902 to 1993)
• Ivor Philipps - Liberal Party Member of Parliament (1861 to 1940)
• Roland Philipps - Scouting leader (1890 to 1916)

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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