Dog name guide

Phillips

The meaning, background and naming story of Phillips.

Letters
8
Syllables
2Dictionary reading
Starts with
P

Meaning and background

The story behind Phillips

Phillips is a familiar surname generally interpreted through the given name Philip; in patronymic traditions it refers to a descendant or son of Philip. Its deeper Greek name-family association involves horses and friendship. As a dog's name Phillips sounds more like a surname or formal address than a short pet nickname, which is part of its distinction.

Meaning
Patronymic surname associated with "son of Philip". Source
Origin
Surname derived from the personal name Philip in several European traditions. Source

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About Phillips

Recorded as a dog’s name

Phillips appears in 6 dog licence records in the 2022 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

/fɪlɪps/

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

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

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

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Sources and research notes (2)
  • New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
  • Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation

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.

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Chips

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Trips

Same final dictionary sounds

Pips

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