Phaedra
A feminine name derived from Greek mythology, meaning "radiant".
Name Census estimates that about 1,755 living Americans carry the first name Phaedra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Phaedra today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Phaedra births was 1971 (96 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Phaedra. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.8K
~ 1 in 195,302 Americans
Peak year
1971
96 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,086
Tracked since 1963
Popularity
Phaedra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Phaedra from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 589 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Phaedra by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Phaedra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Phaedras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 15 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Phaedra, while North Carolina, Massachusetts, Washington recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 24 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Phaedra
The name Phaedra has its origins in ancient Greek mythology and literature. It is derived from the Greek word "phaidros," which means "bright" or "radiant." The name first appeared in classical Greek texts, particularly in the tragic play "Hippolytus" by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides.
In Greek mythology, Phaedra was the daughter of King Minos of Crete and Pasiphaë. She married Theseus, the legendary hero and founder of Athens, but fell in love with her stepson, Hippolytus. When Hippolytus rejected her advances, Phaedra falsely accused him of attempting to seduce her, leading to his tragic death. This tragic tale has been a source of inspiration for various literary works throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Phaedra can be found in Euripides' play "Hippolytus," which was written around 428 BCE. The character of Phaedra has been portrayed by various writers and artists over the centuries, including Seneca the Younger, Racine, and Eugene O'Neill.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Phaedra. For instance, Phaedra of Athens (c. 370 BCE – c. 290 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher and student of Plato. She is believed to have been one of the few female philosophers of her time.
In the 17th century, Phaedra Ziliotto (1600 - 1670) was an Italian opera singer and one of the first known female professional singers in Europe. She performed in various cities across Italy and is considered a pioneer in the early development of opera.
Phaedra Drusillia Britannia (1667 - 1731) was an English noblewoman and courtier during the reign of King William III and Queen Anne. She was known for her influential role in court circles and her patronage of the arts.
In the 20th century, Phaedra Harawira (1918 - 2004) was a prominent Māori activist and leader in New Zealand, advocating for the rights of indigenous peoples and environmental conservation.
More recently, Phaedra Parks (born 1973) is an American entertainment attorney and television personality, best known for her appearances on the reality TV show "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."
People
Phaedra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Phaedra as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Phaedra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Phaedra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,755 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Phaedra going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 195,302 US residents.
Is Phaedra a common name?
We classify Phaedra as "Rare". It ranks above 93.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,885 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Phaedra most popular?
The single biggest year for Phaedra was 1971, when 96 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Phaedra is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Phaedra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Phaedra in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.