Phyllys
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "green bough" or "foliage".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Phyllys. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Phyllys today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Phyllys births was 1921 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Phyllys. 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 Phyllys is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Phyllys' were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Phyllys. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1921
7 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1949 SSA rank
#5,853
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Phyllys: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Phyllys from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 17 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Phyllys 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 Phyllys 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 Phyllys
The name Phyllys is derived from the Greek word "phyllon," meaning "leaf" or "foliage." It is a feminine form of the masculine name Phyllon, which was used in ancient Greece as a reference to nature and the natural world.
This name has its roots in Greek mythology, where it was associated with deities and figures connected to the earth, plants, and fertility. In some ancient Greek texts, Phyllys was mentioned as a minor goddess or nymph who presided over the growth and protection of plants and trees.
The earliest recorded use of the name Phyllys dates back to the 5th century BC, when it appeared in ancient Greek writings and inscriptions. During this time, it was commonly given to girls born in rural or agricultural communities, reflecting the connection to nature and the earth.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Phyllys. One of the earliest was Phyllys of Samos, a Greek lyric poet who lived in the 6th century BC and was renowned for her poetry celebrating the beauty of nature and the natural world.
Another famous Phyllys was Phyllys of Epidaurus, a Greek physician and herbalist who lived in the 4th century BC and was renowned for her knowledge of medicinal plants and their healing properties.
In the Middle Ages, Phyllys was less commonly used, but there are records of a Phyllys de Burgh, an English noblewoman who lived in the 13th century and was known for her patronage of the arts and literature.
During the Renaissance, the name experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Italy and France. One notable figure was Phyllys de Pisan, a French writer and philosopher who lived in the 14th and 15th centuries and was one of the earliest advocates for women's education and rights.
In the 19th century, the name Phyllys gained popularity in English-speaking countries, with several notable figures bearing the name. These included Phyllys Wheatley, an American poet and writer who was one of the first African American authors to achieve widespread recognition, and Phyllys Thaxter, an American poet and writer known for her works celebrating the natural beauty of the New England coast.
People
Phyllys + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Phyllys 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
Phyllys: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Phyllys?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Phyllys 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Phyllys a common name?
We classify Phyllys as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 22 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Phyllys most popular?
The single biggest year for Phyllys was 1921, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Phyllys is about 83 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 Phyllys in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Phyllys a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Phyllys 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.
Is Phyllys still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Phyllys 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 Phyllys 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 are named Phyllys?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Phyllys at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.