Dog name guide

Phillip

The meaning, background and naming story of Phillip.

Letters
7
Syllables
2Dictionary reading
Starts with
P

Meaning and background

The story behind Phillip

Phillip is an established English spelling variant of Philip, adding a second l. The two forms trace to the same Greek Philippos, usually explained as 'friend of horses'. Because the difference lies in spelling rather than etymology, there is no reason to manufacture a separate meaning for Phillip. It remains a practical, familiar two-syllable name.

Meaning
English variant of Philip, from Greek Philippos, "friend of horses". Source
Origin
English variant spelling of Greek-derived Philip. Source

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Everyday moments

“Phillip, come here!”

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About Phillip

Recorded as a dog’s name

Phillip appears in 6 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

/fɪlɪp/

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

Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.

View dictionary notation

/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.

Filip

Same final dictionary sounds

Flip

Same final dictionary sounds

Blip

Same final dictionary sounds

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