Dog name guide

Philip

The meaning, background and naming story of Philip.

Letters
6
Syllables
2Dictionary reading
Starts with
P

Meaning and background

The story behind Philip

Philip has an unusually clear classical etymology. It comes from Greek Philippos, formed from elements meaning 'friend' and 'horse', conventionally rendered 'friend of horses'. The name also has extensive historical use as a personal name. For a dog it offers familiar spelling and a crisp two-syllable rhythm without needing invented personality symbolism.

Meaning
From Greek Philippos, meaning "friend of horses". Source
Origin
Greek personal name adopted into English. Source

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Everyday moments

“Philip, come here!”

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About Philip

Recorded as a dog’s name

Philip appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2026 New York City dataset.

How to read this count

These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.

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Pronunciation and rhythm

/fɪləp/

US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.

Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.

Other dictionary readings and notation

/fɪləp/ · primary stress on syllable 1
F IH1 L AH0 P

/fɪlɪp/ · primary stress on syllable 1
F IH1 L IH0 P

These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.

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Sources and research notes (2)

References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.

More names to consider

Suggestions by sound, written form or existing editorial selections. Similarity does not imply a shared origin.

Julep

Same final dictionary sounds

Tulip

Same final dictionary sounds

Scallop

Same final dictionary sounds

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