Philemon
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- Greek
- US rank, 2025
- #7,675 for boys
Philemon is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “kindly, affectionate”. In 2025 it ranked 7,675th for boys in the US (10 babies).
What does Philemon mean?
Greek
“kindly, affectionate”
A male given name from Ancient Greek.
From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is Philemon a girl's or a boy's name?
Philemon is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 10 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Philemon in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #7,675among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 10about 1 in 170,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 10 boys in the US were named Philemon, making it the 7,675th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,616th. Its busiest year was 2017, with 24 boys. It first appears in the records in 1916.
Half of all the boys named Philemon in the US since 1880 were born between 1957 and 2008, the years shaded on the chart below.
Philemon in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | #7,675 |
| 2024 | 7 | #9,888 |
| 2023 | 9 | #8,250 |
| 2022 | 5 | #12,322 |
| 2021 | 21 | #4,624 |
| 2020 | 12 | #6,616 |
| 2019 | 11 | #7,168 |
| 2018 | 16 | #5,536 |
| 2017 | 24 | #4,220 |
| 2016 | 16 | #5,551 |
| 2015 | 15 | #5,742 |
| 2014 | 15 | #5,729 |
| 2013 | 10 | #7,532 |
| 2012 | 16 | #5,476 |
| 2011 | 9 | #8,072 |
| 2010 | 10 | #7,585 |
| 2009 | 13 | #6,432 |
| 2008 | 16 | #5,482 |
| 2007 | 11 | #7,090 |
| 2006 | 7 | #9,579 |
| 2005 | 17 | #4,819 |
| 2004 | 11 | #6,514 |
| 2003 | 11 | #6,251 |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 10 | #6,438 |
| 2000 | 12 | #5,581 |
| 1999 | 7 | #7,867 |
| 1998 | 12 | #5,153 |
| 1997 | 10 | #5,636 |
| 1996 | 14 | #4,390 |
| 1995 | 8 | #6,400 |
| 1994 | 10 | #5,446 |
| 1993 | 9 | #5,764 |
| 1992 | 12 | #4,556 |
| 1991 | 13 | #4,223 |
| 1990 | 11 | #4,667 |
| 1989 | 9 | #5,158 |
| 1988 | 13 | #3,700 |
| 1987 | 9 | #4,567 |
| 1986 | 6 | #5,920 |
| 1985 | 11 | #3,802 |
| 1984 | 7 | #4,969 |
| 1983 | 9 | #4,139 |
| 1982 | 8 | #4,591 |
| 1981 | 9 | #4,151 |
| 1980 | 17 | #2,728 |
| 1979 | 7 | #4,840 |
| 1978 | 14 | #2,928 |
| 1977 | 14 | #2,909 |
| 1976 | 10 | #3,469 |
| 1975 | 12 | #3,076 |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 10 | #3,221 |
| 1972 | 7 | #3,960 |
| 1971 | 8 | #3,656 |
| 1970 | 10 | #3,069 |
| 1969 | 16 | #2,129 |
| 1968 | 8 | #3,106 |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 8 | #2,985 |
| 1965 | 10 | #2,615 |
| 1964 | 6 | #3,600 |
| 1963 | 5 | #4,047 |
| 1962 | 7 | #3,303 |
| 1961 | 8 | #3,095 |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 10 | #2,662 |
| 1958 | 5 | #3,942 |
| 1957 | 7 | #3,255 |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 9 | #2,763 |
| 1954 | 5 | #3,825 |
| 1953 | 8 | #2,904 |
| 1952 | 8 | #2,872 |
| 1951 | 6 | #3,362 |
| 1950 | 9 | #2,579 |
| 1949 | 8 | #2,801 |
| 1948 | 6 | #3,315 |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 5 | #3,523 |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 6 | #3,108 |
| 1943 | 6 | #3,229 |
| 1942 | 5 | #3,559 |
| 1941 | 8 | #2,655 |
| 1940 | 5 | #3,458 |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 5 | #3,533 |
| 1937 | 6 | #3,175 |
| 1936 | 8 | #2,628 |
| 1935 | 5 | #3,644 |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 6 | #3,360 |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 5 | #3,999 |
| 1929 | 5 | #3,957 |
| 1928 | 9 | #2,842 |
| 1927 | 6 | #3,778 |
| 1926 | 5 | #4,199 |
| 1925 | 6 | #3,739 |
| 1924 | 6 | #3,865 |
| 1923 | 9 | #2,948 |
| 1922 | 10 | #2,800 |
| 1921 | 6 | #3,867 |
| 1920 | 7 | #3,488 |
| 1919 | 7 | #3,390 |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 11 | #2,422 |
| 1916 | 9 | #2,729 |
Names like Philemon
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Harrison Jason Benjamin Damian Preston Jackson Christian Orion Jameson Emerson Mason Sebastian
Names related to Philemon
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Philemon: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/philemon, updated 20 October 2026.