Philson
A masculine name derived from Phil, a diminutive of Philip.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Philson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Philson today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Philson births was 1977 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Philson. 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 Philson. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1977
5 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1977 SSA rank
#6,592
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Philson: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Philson 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 Philson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Philson
The given name Philson is a relatively uncommon name with roots tracing back to ancient Greece and Rome. It is derived from the Greek word "philo", meaning "lover" or "friend", combined with the Latin suffix "-son", which denotes a familial relationship or descent.
One of the earliest known mentions of the name Philson can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who lived from 428 BC to 348 BC. In his dialogue "The Republic", Plato makes reference to a character named Philson, though it is unclear whether this was an actual person or a fictional construct.
During the Roman era, the name Philson gained some popularity among the upper classes, particularly those with Greek cultural influences. One notable figure from this period was Philson of Tarsus, a philosopher and teacher who lived in the 1st century AD. He is known for his writings on ethics and virtue, which were widely studied in the ancient world.
In the Middle Ages, the name Philson experienced a resurgence in certain regions of Europe, particularly in areas with strong ties to the Renaissance humanist movement. One such figure was Philson Boccaccio, an Italian scholar and poet who lived from 1313 to 1375. He is best known for his work "The Decameron", a collection of novellas that explored themes of love, betrayal, and human nature.
During the 16th century, the name Philson gained popularity among the Protestant Reformation movement, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands. One notable figure from this period was Philson Melanchthon, a German scholar and theologian who lived from 1497 to 1560. He was a close collaborator of Martin Luther and played a significant role in shaping the principles of the Protestant Reformation.
In the 17th century, the name Philson appeared in the works of the English playwright William Shakespeare. In his play "The Tempest", there is a character named Philson, though it is unclear whether this was a reference to an actual person or simply a fictional character.
Throughout history, there have been several other notable individuals who bore the name Philson, including Philson Rousseau (1712-1778), a French philosopher and writer; Philson Emerson (1803-1882), an American essayist and philosopher; and Philson Whitman (1819-1892), an American poet and journalist.
People
Philson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Philson 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
Philson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Philson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Philson 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Philson a common name?
We classify Philson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Philson most popular?
The single biggest year for Philson was 1977, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Philson is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Philson in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Philson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Philson in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Philson still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Philson in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Philson can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Philson as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Philson, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.