Philecia
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "beloved".
Name Census estimates that about 32 living Americans carry the first name Philecia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Philecia today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Philecia births was 1996 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Philecia. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Philecia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
32
~ 1 in 10,711,073 Americans
Peak year
1996
7 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
1998 SSA rank
#13,689
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Philecia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Philecia from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 23 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Philecia 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 Philecia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Philecia
The name Philecia is a unique and intriguing one with a rich history that spans multiple cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where it is believed to have derived from the Greek word "philos," meaning "dear" or "beloved." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals who were held in high esteem or affection by their communities.
In the early centuries of the Christian era, the name Philecia gained popularity among the Byzantine Greeks, who embraced it as a feminine variant of the masculine name Philemon. This connection to the biblical figure Philemon, who was commended by St. Paul for his hospitality and kindness, further reinforced the positive connotations associated with the name.
As the influence of the Byzantine Empire spread, the name Philecia found its way into the Armenian tradition, where it was adopted and adapted to fit the linguistic landscape. Here, it was often spelled as "Philetsia" or "Philitsya," reflecting the unique phonetic nuances of the Armenian language.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Philecia can be found in the writings of the 4th-century Christian scholar and theologian, St. John Chrysostom. In his homilies, he mentions a woman named Philecia who was known for her piety and charitable works.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Philecia remained relatively obscure, but it resurfaced during the Renaissance period, particularly in Italy. One notable figure who bore this name was Philecia Tolomei (1492-1553), a renowned Italian scholar and poet who was celebrated for her erudition and literary prowess.
In the 17th century, the name crossed the Atlantic and found its way into the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is that of Philecia Carr (1635-1712), a Puritan settler in Massachusetts who is remembered for her role in the Salem Witch Trials.
As the centuries passed, the name Philecia continued to be used, albeit infrequently, across various parts of the world. Among the notable individuals who carried this name were Philecia McDaniel (1801-1888), an abolitionist and conductor on the Underground Railroad in the United States, and Philecia Bauersmith (1868-1942), a suffragette and women's rights activist in New Zealand.
In more recent times, the name Philecia has maintained a certain mystique and rarity, making it a unique and distinctive choice for parents seeking a name with historical depth and cultural richness.
People
Philecia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Philecia 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
Philecia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Philecia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 32 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Philecia 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 10,711,073 US residents.
Is Philecia a common name?
We classify Philecia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 33 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Philecia most popular?
The single biggest year for Philecia was 1996, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Philecia is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Philecia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Philecia 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.