How popular is the baby name Phillippi in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Phillippi.

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Popularity of the baby name Phillippi


Posts that mention the name Phillippi

Phillippi, Phillippee, Philippy, Phillipie…

I was really intrigued by the female names Phillippi, Phillipie, Philippe, etc., that kept appearing in those early Boston records. I found 17 females with a name based on Philip, and 16 of those 17 were listed as “Phillippi” or something similar at least once. Here are all 17, plus every entry I found for each:

1. Phillipee White (née Wood), 3 entries:

  • married in 1653 (listed as “Phillip”)
  • gave birth in 1654 (listed as “Phillips”)
  • died in 1654 (listed as “Phillipee”)

2. Philipa Ockonell (née King), 1 entry:

  • married in 1662 (listed as “Philipa”)

3. Phillippee Cann, 2 entries:

  • gave birth to twin #1 in 1663 (listed as “Phillippee”)
  • gave birth to twin #2 in 1663 (listed as “Phillippee”)

4. Philippee Snell, 3 entries:

  • gave birth in 1659 (listed as “Philip”)
  • gave birth in 1661 (listed as “Phillip”)
  • gave birth in 1663 (listed as “Philippee”)

5. Phillippe Snell (daughter of #4), 1 entry:

  • died in 1663 (listed as “Phillippe”)

6. Philippe Cunnell, 2 entries:

  • gave birth in 1667 (listed as “Philippe”)
  • gave birth in 1670 (listed as “Philippe”)

7. Philippa Phillips (this is her married name believe it or not!), 8 entries:

  • gave birth in 1665 (listed as “Philippa”)
  • gave birth in 1667 (listed as “Philippa”)
  • gave birth in 1669 (listed as “Philippa”)
  • gave birth to twin #1 in 1671 (listed as “Phillippe”)
  • gave birth to twin #2 in 1671 (listed as “Phillippe”)
  • gave birth in 1672 (listed as “Philippa”)
  • gave birth in 1674 (listed as “Phillipa”)
  • died in 1679 (listed as “Philippy”)

8. Phillippi Samis, 1 entry:

  • died in 1689 (listed as “Phillippi”)

9. Phillippi Arnall, 3 entries:

  • gave birth in 1691 (listed as “Phillippi”)
  • gave birth in 1694 (listed as “Phillis”)
  • gave birth in 1695 (listed as “Phillis”)

10. Phillipie Carter (née White), 2 entries:

  • married in 1699 (listed as “Pilippe”)
  • gave birth in 1700 (listed as “Phillipie”)

11. Phillipi Lablond, 1 entry:

  • gave birth in 1704 (listed as “Phillipi”)

12. Philippi Greenwood, 1 entry:

  • gave birth in 1711 (listed as “Philippi”)

13. Phillippi Trench, 4 entries:

  • gave birth in 1716 (listed as “Phillipee”)
  • gave birth in 1719 (listed as “Phillippi”)
  • gave birth in 1720 (listed as “Phillippi”)
  • gave birth in 1724 (listed as “Philippe”)

14. Philippe Trench (daughter of #13), 1 entry:

  • born in 1724 (listed as “Philippe”)

15. Philippe Snelling, 2 entries:

  • gave birth in 1731 (listed as “Phillippe”)
  • gave birth in 1732 (listed as “Philippe”)

16. Philippe Snelling (daughter of #15), 1 entry:

  • born in 1731 (listed as “Philippe”)

17. Philippe Snelling (also daughter of #15), 1 entry:

  • born in 1732 (listed as “Philippe”)

Nowadays the preferred feminine form of Philip is Philippa, but Philippa clearly wasn’t being used very often in Boston during the 1600s and early 1700s. Here’s what A Dictionary of First Names has to say about Philippa:

In England during the Middle Ages the vernacular name Philip was borne by women as well as men, but female bearers were distinguished in Latin records by this form. It was not, however, used as a regular given name until the 19th century.

I’m left to conclude that, in Boston during this pre-Philippa era, the trendiest way to feminize Philip was by adding a ‘long E’ sound.

I wonder now if this ending was chosen intentionally to mirror the ‘long E’ endings of other female names with ancient Greek origins, like Phoebe and Chloe. Then again maybe it was simply the most natural way to feminize Philip, given that “-ie” and “-y” are such common diminutive suffixes in English.

Sources:

Rare names in early Boston (1630-1805)

Green Dragon Tavern in Boston

Yesterday we looked at popular baby names in early Boston, so today let’s check out some rare names.

Those two books I discovered with the early Boston birth records also included lists of Boston baptisms, marriages and deaths. I scanned all of these lists to come up with the names below:

A: Admonition, Aftar, America, Amiable, Amorel/Amorill, Androse, Aniball, Angola, Annice, Anstis, Apfier, Archdale, Arimnel, Atterlanta, Avery, Avise, Azor

  • America, full name America House, was born in 1660. Could she have been the very first New World baby named America? I can’t find anything earlier…
  • Avery was a baby girl born in 1645. This could be the earliest girl-Avery I know of.

B: Bagwell, Bagworth, Bant, Barbary, Belcher, Benaniwell, Betteris, Bezaliell, Bickford, Blish, Bossenger, Boylston, Bozoun/Bozoon/Bozoune/Bozon/Boozone, Brattle, Broughton, Budd, Bulkely, Buny, Buttalph/Buttolph, Byfield

  • Bagworth‘s full name was the Hobbit-like Bagworth Endicutt.
  • One of the Belchers had the unfortunate full name Belcher Noyes.
  • The Bozoun-group refers mainly to one person: Capt. Bozoun Allen (d. 1652), an immigrant from England who was active in early Boston politics.

C: Caylance, Cazneau, Cerston, Chanterlin, Chuzziah, Civil, Cletord, Clorinda, Coneniah, Consider, Constancy, Cord, Crumil, Cumbey/Cumby, Custin/Custine, Cutting

  • Could Chuzziah be a version of Josiah?
  • Cord‘s full name was Cord Cordis.
  • Cutting‘s full name was Cutting Bean.

D: Decline, Delicia, Derlow, Dermin, Desire ye Truth, Dickery, Digory, Dinisha, Dionysia, Dixe, Dosithea, Dowsabell, Drewry

  • Desire ye Truth gave her daughter the exact same name in 1666. The “ye” here would have been pronounced “the,” as the letter y actually represents the letter thorn.
  • Here’s more on the derivation of Digory.
  • Dionysia‘s full name was the very romantic Dionysia Savage Ravenscroft. (Savage was her maiden name; Ravenscroft was her married name.)

E: Electa, Eleshaway, Eliphall/Elliphall, Ellener, Emmin, Emmorold, Estick, Ethlan, Evos, Exercise

  • Exercise‘s full name was Exercise Blackleech.

F: Fairbanck, Fathergone, Faur, Fearnot/Fearnott, Febee, Ffitz-John, Foreland, Fortescue, Fortune, Freeborn, Freegrace, Freelove, Frizzel

  • Here’s the story behind Fathergone.
  • Fearnot is a Puritan name that needs to make a comeback, I think.

G: Gartright, Gatliffe, Gedny, Gee, Gier, Goodith, Grafton, Gravingham, Griffyn, Grimstone, Grindall, Grizzel/Grizzell

  • Gartright could be a version of Gertrude.
  • Goodith is probably Judith.
  • Grimstone! I love any name that features the word “grim.” I remember Grimsley popping up in Idaho a few years back…

H: Habbakuck/Habbakuk, Habbiah, Hananeel, Hanniball, Harborne, Harbottle, Hazelelponi, Hazelpanah, Heiborne, Hennerina, Hopefor/Hoptfor, Huldy, Humilis, Humility, Huxtable

I: Ibroke, Indego, Ireland, Isanna

J: Jaleham, Jamina, Jarratt, Jeffs, Jehosebath/Johoshabeath/Josabeth/Joshabeth, Jolley, Jolliff, Joylieffe/Joyliffe

K: Kellon, Kinsman, Knight

L: Laomi, Lately, Leech, Lettysse, Lilingston, Love, Lucrana, Lucresia, Ludwick

M: Macartey, Mackworth, Mauditt, Maverick, Maybe, Meddlecot, Mehalaliell/Mahalaleel, Melatiah, Meribah, Metsathiell, Milam, Milcha, Mindwell, Minot, Mordica, Moremercy, Mungo

  • Maverick, born at the end of the 1600s, got his mother’s surname as a first name.

N: Nabby, Nebery, Neezer, Neverson, Newgrace, Niot/Nyott

  • I’m guessing Neezer was derived from Ebenezer.
  • Nyott‘s full name was Nyott Doubt.

O: Onner, Opportunity, Orchard, Oulando, Oxenbridge

  • Opportunity‘s full name was Opportunity Lane.

P: Palfrey, Palsgrove, Palti, Parnell, Parthenia, Pepperrell, Perciful, Perring, Phaline, Phesant, Philadelphia, Philippe/Philippi/Philippy/Phillipee/Phillippi, Pilgrim, Pittie, Pool, Posthumus, Pouning, Preserved, Pyam

  • Perciful looks like Percival under the influence of “merciful.”
  • A number of women had names like Phillippi, which is curious…
  • Posthumus was once kinda trendy.
  • Pilgrim, despite his name, had nothing to do with the Mayflower Pilgrims.

R: Ranis/Ragnis, Recompense, Redemption, Redigon/Redgon/Reddigan/Redigun, Reforme, Rely, Rich-Grace, Ronas, Rooksby/Rooksbey/Rooksbee/Rookby, Roop/Roope, Ryal

  • The Redigon group represents one person (female).
  • The Rooksby group represents several people, all female.

S: Salmagrave, Salphin, Sarahjah, Satisfaction, Savel/Savell/Savil, Scarborough, Scissilla, Seaborne, Secunda/Secundas, Sendall/Sendell, Shippie, Shoreborne, Shove, Shrimpton, Sibbella/Sibla, Sivil/Sivill, Skinner, Skipper, Smyth, Snell, Spiller, Story, Strange, Sucky, Supply, Sweet

  • Sucky is an regrettable rendering of Sukey, a diminutive of Susanna.

T: Tacey, Teasant, Torshel, Tregoweth, Tremble, Trine, Tristram, Trueworthy, Turfry, Tuttle

  • Tacey has the same root as Tacita: the Latin verb tacere, meaning “to be silent.”
  • Torshel was the twin of Harborne (see above).

U: Union, Unite

V: Verrin, Vigilant, Vsal

W: Waitawhile/Wayte-a-while, Wentworth, Wheelwright, Wigglesworth/Wigleworth, Winborn, Woodbery, Woodmansie, Woodward

  • Waitawhile (female) had the birth name Waitawhile Makepeace. Sounds like a 2-step process for conflict resolution, doesn’t it?

Y: Yelverton

Z: Zerubbabel, Zibiah, Zuriell/Zuryell, Zurishaddai

…So, which of the above names intrigue you the most?

Sources: Boston births, baptisms, marriages and deaths, 1630-1699, Boston births from A.D. 1700 to A.D. 1800

Image: Adapted from Green Dragon Tavern by Boston Public Library under CC BY 2.0.