Philomena
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- fil-o-MEE-na
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,856 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #1,911 for girls
Philomena is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “loving strength”. In 2025 it ranked 2,856th for girls in the UK (9 babies) and 1,911th for girls in the US (101 babies).
What does Philomena mean?
Greek: from phileo, to love, and menos, strength
“loving strength”
Devotion to Saint Philomena grew after bones believed to be hers were found in a Roman catacomb in 1802.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Philomena a girl's or a boy's name?
Philomena is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 9 girls in the UK and 101 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Philomena in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 2,856th among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 9 about 1 in 31,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 25% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 9 girls in the UK were named Philomena, making it the 2,856th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,046th. Its busiest year was 2016, with 17 girls.
Half of all the girls named Philomena in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2019. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 2,786th in England and Wales.
Philomena in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | #2,856 |
| 2024 | 4 | #4,907 |
| 2023 | 11 | #2,481 |
| 2022 | 12 | #2,277 |
| 2021 | 9 | #2,846 |
| 2020 | 14 | #2,046 |
| 2019 | 13 | #2,157 |
| 2018 | 5 | #4,204 |
| 2017 | 10 | #2,652 |
| 2016 | 17 | #1,853 |
| 2015 | 11 | #2,458 |
| 2014 | 7 | #3,321 |
| 2013 | 1 | #7,690 |
| 2012 | 11 | #2,463 |
| 2011 | 11 | #2,393 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 10 | #2,478 |
| 2008 | 9 | #2,663 |
| 2007 | 8 | #2,790 |
| 2006 | 11 | #2,119 |
| 2005 | 7 | #2,806 |
| 2004 | 6 | #2,957 |
| 2003 | 3 | #4,560 |
| 2002 | 11 | #1,755 |
| 2001 | 8 | #2,150 |
| 2000 | 7 | #2,304 |
| 1999 | 6 | #2,559 |
| 1998 | 4 | #3,310 |
| 1997 | 9 | #1,927 |
| 1996 | 9 | #1,862 |
How popular is Philomena in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,911th among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 101 about 1 in 16,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steady up 10% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 101 girls in the US were named Philomena, making it the 1,911th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,115th. Its busiest year was 1922, with 308 girls.
Half of all the girls named Philomena in the US since 1880 were born between 1917 and 1950, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 132 girls in the US were given Philomena or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,393, up from #1,911 for this spelling alone.
- Philomena 101
- Filomena 31
Philomena in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 101 | #1,911 |
| 2024 | 111 | #1,810 |
| 2023 | 80 | #2,288 |
| 2022 | 83 | #2,253 |
| 2021 | 77 | #2,345 |
| 2020 | 86 | #2,115 |
| 2019 | 92 | #2,056 |
| 2018 | 87 | #2,159 |
| 2017 | 92 | #2,097 |
| 2016 | 93 | #2,093 |
| 2015 | 78 | #2,351 |
| 2014 | 67 | #2,613 |
| 2013 | 43 | #3,571 |
| 2012 | 41 | #3,781 |
| 2011 | 41 | #3,722 |
| 2010 | 31 | #4,607 |
| 2009 | 19 | #6,808 |
| 2008 | 24 | #5,747 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4,474 |
| 2006 | 25 | #5,382 |
| 2005 | 23 | #5,432 |
| 2004 | 27 | #4,812 |
| 2003 | 18 | #6,294 |
| 2002 | 17 | #6,386 |
| 2001 | 15 | #6,951 |
| 2000 | 17 | #6,202 |
| 1999 | 20 | #5,213 |
| 1998 | 21 | #4,951 |
| 1997 | 16 | #5,864 |
| 1996 | 15 | #6,059 |
| 1995 | 9 | #8,761 |
| 1994 | 8 | #9,580 |
| 1993 | 7 | #10,581 |
| 1992 | 9 | #8,726 |
| 1991 | 12 | #6,969 |
| 1990 | 5 | #12,952 |
| 1989 | 9 | #8,031 |
| 1988 | 9 | #7,686 |
| 1987 | 6 | #9,820 |
| 1986 | 7 | #8,518 |
| 1985 | 8 | #7,560 |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 12 | #5,456 |
| 1982 | 7 | #8,222 |
| 1981 | 7 | #8,126 |
| 1980 | 7 | #8,177 |
| 1979 | 8 | #7,311 |
| 1978 | 15 | #4,459 |
| 1977 | 9 | #6,338 |
| 1976 | 7 | #7,294 |
| 1975 | 12 | #4,852 |
| 1974 | 11 | #5,010 |
| 1973 | 9 | #5,578 |
| 1972 | 6 | #7,290 |
| 1971 | 18 | #3,507 |
| 1970 | 20 | #3,208 |
| 1969 | 22 | #2,843 |
| 1968 | 14 | #3,609 |
| 1967 | 18 | #2,963 |
| 1966 | 23 | #2,518 |
| 1965 | 24 | #2,463 |
| 1964 | 18 | #2,999 |
| 1963 | 21 | #2,703 |
| 1962 | 31 | #2,112 |
| 1961 | 25 | #2,410 |
| 1960 | 43 | #1,724 |
| 1959 | 46 | #1,595 |
| 1958 | 44 | #1,605 |
| 1957 | 39 | #1,727 |
| 1956 | 62 | #1,318 |
| 1955 | 52 | #1,382 |
| 1954 | 56 | #1,332 |
| 1953 | 64 | #1,206 |
| 1952 | 59 | #1,235 |
| 1951 | 53 | #1,276 |
| 1950 | 59 | #1,199 |
| 1949 | 49 | #1,303 |
| 1948 | 57 | #1,196 |
| 1947 | 57 | #1,192 |
| 1946 | 46 | #1,275 |
| 1945 | 33 | #1,401 |
| 1944 | 48 | #1,128 |
| 1943 | 54 | #1,086 |
| 1942 | 67 | #954 |
| 1941 | 71 | #865 |
| 1940 | 65 | #887 |
| 1939 | 63 | #882 |
| 1938 | 81 | #775 |
| 1937 | 80 | #761 |
| 1936 | 76 | #776 |
| 1935 | 79 | #763 |
| 1934 | 110 | #635 |
| 1933 | 114 | #609 |
| 1932 | 133 | #565 |
| 1931 | 156 | #527 |
| 1930 | 178 | #500 |
| 1929 | 226 | #437 |
| 1928 | 225 | #459 |
| 1927 | 267 | #419 |
| 1926 | 261 | #427 |
| 1925 | 270 | #419 |
| 1924 | 291 | #403 |
| 1923 | 299 | #384 |
| 1922 | 308 | #371 |
| 1921 | 294 | #392 |
| 1920 | 270 | #404 |
| 1919 | 244 | #416 |
| 1918 | 265 | #401 |
| 1917 | 290 | #371 |
| 1916 | 296 | #357 |
| 1915 | 284 | #355 |
| 1914 | 207 | #367 |
| 1913 | 156 | #387 |
| 1912 | 139 | #392 |
| 1911 | 109 | #388 |
| 1910 | 81 | #443 |
| 1909 | 72 | #435 |
| 1908 | 96 | #368 |
| 1907 | 75 | #409 |
| 1906 | 58 | #447 |
| 1905 | 73 | #393 |
| 1904 | 48 | #474 |
| 1903 | 66 | #390 |
| 1902 | 47 | #459 |
| 1901 | 40 | #475 |
| 1900 | 38 | #556 |
| 1899 | 47 | #424 |
| 1898 | 33 | #555 |
| 1897 | 36 | #477 |
| 1896 | 34 | #504 |
| 1895 | 32 | #520 |
| 1894 | 25 | #586 |
| 1893 | 24 | #571 |
| 1892 | 28 | #510 |
| 1891 | 16 | #669 |
| 1890 | 21 | #570 |
| 1889 | 22 | #543 |
| 1888 | 24 | #512 |
| 1887 | 9 | #788 |
| 1886 | 15 | #572 |
| 1885 | 14 | #576 |
| 1884 | 10 | #686 |
| 1883 | 15 | #499 |
| 1882 | 10 | #596 |
| 1881 | 11 | #503 |
| 1880 | 10 | #547 |
Nicknames for Philomena
Names like Philomena
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ophelia, Matilda, Cora, Ada, Lola, Theodora, Rosa, Cleo, Clara, Aurelia, Etta, Flora
Other spellings of Philomena
More Greek names
Luca, Theodore, Sophia, George, Theo, Lucas, Sofia, Alexander, Sebastian, Penelope, Phoebe, Margot, Luke, Chloe, Sophie, Zoe
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and 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, “Philomena: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/philomena, updated 20 October 2026.