The Phillip surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,857 people carried this name — #5,108 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 43,100 people counted. That is up 14% from 5,994 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Phillip surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

A less common spelling of Philip.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Phillip» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Phillip was counted together with Phillips: 878 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 4,882 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Phillips, Fillips, Philip, Philipps, Philips, Phillip, Philliph, Philliphs, Phillps, Phillups, Philps, Phllips, Pilips. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 174
New York 143
North Carolina 143
Pennsylvania 111
Virginia 63
Rhode Island 56
Maryland 53
Connecticut 39
Vermont 31
South Carolina 31
Maine 17
New Hampshire 17

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 257 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Phillip in American newspapers,
1887–1922.

Newspaper page from Southern Christian Advocate carrying the name Phillip
Southern Christian Advocate 1910-05-19
Newspaper page from The Seattle Star carrying the name Phillip
The Seattle Star 1922-07-25
Newspaper page from The Washington Bee carrying the name Phillip
The Washington Bee 1887-03-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 56,162 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Phillip in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2010s.

89,688 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Phillip. The most, 14,955, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 36,430
Victoria 21,392
Queensland 11,516
South Australia 8,911
Western Australia 4,685
Tasmania 3,551
ACT (Canberra) 2,169
Northern Territory 69

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Phillip.

Who carried it

People named Phillip,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Arthur Phillip
    Arthur Phillip 1738–1814 · politician
  • Arthur Phillip
    Arthur Phillip 1738–1814 · politician
  • John Phillip
    John Phillip 1817–1867 · painter
  • Andy Phillip
    Andy Phillip 1922–2001 · military officer
  • Mary Louisa Douglas d. 1940
  • Jeremiah Phillip 1687–1771

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Phillip,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States709 records

709 records of the Phillip name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 226
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 175
  • Other U.S. records 308
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Phillip

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 25; engineer. From Southampton, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Johnny Phillip

    Born 1911 in Louisiana. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Livingston; farm hand from Natchitoches Parish.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Adolph Phillip

    U.S. Army veteran of the Spanish–American War. Born 1871, died 1960; buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 709 records for Phillip in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia305 records

305 records of the Phillip name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 221
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 36
  • Other Australian records 48
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Phillip

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Mellish, arriving 1829; ticket of leave 1836. Native of Hereford.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Helen Phillip

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Invincible, aged 40; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alexander Phillip

    Former sorter of Geelong, Victoria; died 1902.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 305 records for Phillip in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada45 records

45 records of the Phillip name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 28
  • City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) cemetery records 4
  • Other Canadian records 13
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Walter Phillip

    Died 1989, aged 74; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Thomas L. Phillip

    Died 1896 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record John Forbes Phillip

    Died in service in 1915.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 45 records for Phillip in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom17 records

17 records of the Phillip name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 8
  • Stirling Council burial records 5
  • Other British records 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Stephen Phillip

    Buried in 1970 at St Thomas Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 36.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Walter Edward Phillip

    Will proved in 1924; of Llandudno, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Phillip

    Gordon Highlanders. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 17 records for Phillip in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Germany5 records

5 records of the Phillip name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Willi Phillip

    From Döpris, Kreis Weißenfels. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 17 September 1914 (Brigade Replacement Battalion No. 15).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Richard Phillip

    From Gottke. Reported taken prisoner in the Prussian casualty list of 21 April 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Artur Phillip

    From Bischofswerda, Amtshauptmannschaft Bautzen. Reported missing in the Saxon casualty list of 19 September 1914.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Phillip in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Phillip name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Albert Phillip

    Died 1981, aged 70; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Thomas Phillip

    Died 1989, aged 82; buried at Belfast Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Janet Phillip

    Died 1900, aged 23; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Phillip name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  • Dutch population registers 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Levy Phillip

    Married in 1820 in Zoetermeer.

    Open Archives, Nationaal Archief Rijksarchief Zuid-Holland (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Ester Phillip

    Married in 1819 in Vierlingsbeek.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Sara Phillip

    In a population register; born 1833.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France1 record

1 record of the Phillip name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Julianna Phillip

    Born 1957 in Bioche (Dominique); died 1990 in Capesterre-Belle-Eau (Guadeloupe).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Phillip.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Phillip is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Phillip volume
Scroll to Top