Phinneas
A masculine name derived from Hebrew, meaning "the mouth of a serpent".
Name Census estimates that about 142 living Americans carry the first name Phinneas. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Phinneas today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Phinneas births was 2010 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Phinneas. 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
142
~ 1 in 2,413,763 Americans
Peak year
2010
17 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,937
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Phinneas: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Phinneas from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 85 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Phinneas 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 Phinneas 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 Phinneas
The name Phinneas has its origins in the ancient Greek language, specifically deriving from the word "phainos," which means "bright" or "shining." This etymology suggests that the name was originally associated with qualities of radiance, illumination, and brilliance.
The earliest known record of the name Phinneas dates back to ancient Greek mythology, where it was borne by a character named Phinneus, a king of Salmydessus in Thrace. According to the myths, Phinneus was a seer who was blessed with the gift of prophecy but also cursed with blindness and tormented by the Harpies, winged monsters that constantly snatched away his food.
Phinneas is also mentioned in the Bible's Old Testament as one of the sons of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the brother of Moses. This biblical reference indicates that the name held significance within ancient Israelite and Hebrew traditions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Phinneas. One of the earliest recorded figures was Phinneas Fletcher (1582-1650), an English poet and author best known for his epic work "The Purple Island." Another was Phinneas Pemberton (1650-1702), a prominent Quaker leader and founder of the city of Pemberton, New Jersey.
In the 18th century, Phinneas Bond (1717-1773) was a distinguished American clockmaker and pioneer in the field of precision timekeeping. During the American Revolutionary War, Phinneas Lyman (1716-1774) served as a military officer and participated in several key battles against the British forces.
Moving into the 19th century, Phinneas T. Barnum (1810-1891) was a renowned American showman and businessman who founded the famous Barnum & Bailey Circus. Another notable figure was Phinneas Banning (1830-1885), a prominent entrepreneur and founder of the town of Wilmington, California.
While the name Phinneas has ancient roots and a rich history, it has seen less widespread usage in more recent times, particularly when compared to its alternative spelling, Phineas. Nonetheless, the name continues to carry a sense of distinction and a connection to its bright and illuminating origins.
People
Phinneas + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Phinneas 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
Phinneas: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Phinneas?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 142 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Phinneas 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 2,413,763 US residents.
Is Phinneas a common name?
We classify Phinneas as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 143 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Phinneas most popular?
The single biggest year for Phinneas was 2010, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Phinneas is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Phinneas a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Phinneas 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.
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.