Philomene
A feminine given name of Greek origin meaning "lover of strength".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Philomene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Philomene today is around 86 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Philomene births was 1915 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Philomene. 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
- • The typical person named Philomene is about 86 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Philomenes were born before 1950.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Philomene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
1915
22 babies that year
Average age
86
years old
1960 SSA rank
#7,073
Tracked since 1882
Popularity
Philomene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Philomene from the 1880s through to the 1960s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 145 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Philomene 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 Philomene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Philomenes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Philomene
Philomene is a French feminine given name derived from the Greek words "philos" meaning "lover" and "mene" meaning "moon". It originated in the late 17th century as a variant of the name Philomena, which itself stems from the Latin name Philumena or Philomena, meaning "lover of strength".
The name Philomene has its roots in Greek mythology, where Philomela was a princess who was transformed into a nightingale. This association with the nightingale bird gave the name a poetic and romantic connotation. It was also used as a title for the Virgin Mary, referring to her as the "lover of the moon".
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Philomene can be found in the writings of the 17th-century French playwright and poet Jean Racine. In his tragedy "Phèdre", first performed in 1677, one of the characters is named Philomène.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Philomene. One of the most famous was Philomène Terral (1791-1868), a French Catholic nun and founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family. Another was Philomène Laperrière (1824-1905), a Canadian author and educator who wrote one of the first children's books published in French Canada.
In the 19th century, Philomène Dessier (1809-1865) was a French writer and journalist known for her contributions to women's rights and education. Philomène Crozat (1830-1884) was a French operatic soprano who performed at the Paris Opera and other major venues in Europe.
Another notable Philomene was Philomène Varin (1845-1925), a French-Canadian writer and educator who founded the first French-language library in Manitoba, Canada.
While the name Philomene has its roots in ancient Greek and French culture, it has been adopted and used in various forms across different regions and time periods, reflecting its enduring appeal and connection to themes of love, strength, and nature.
People
Philomene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Philomene 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
Philomene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Philomene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Philomene 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Philomene a common name?
We classify Philomene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 544 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Philomene most popular?
The single biggest year for Philomene was 1915, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Philomene is about 86 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Philomene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Philomene 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.