2000
#20,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,239
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Philippe
A French surname derived from the Greek name Philippos, meaning "lover of horses" or "friend of horses."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,776 Americans carry the last name Philippe. That puts it at #12,275 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,471 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Philippe surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,471
Census rank
#12,275
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,421 bearers of the surname Philippe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12275th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Philippe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Philippe
The surname Philippe originated in France, with roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Greek name Philippos, which means "lover of horses." The name gained popularity in France during the 12th century and was often associated with the ruling class and nobility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Philippe can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Bertin, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century. The document mentions a certain "Philippus de Boulogne," suggesting that the name was already in use among the elite families of the region.
The name Philippe has also been linked to several prominent figures throughout history. One of the most notable was Philippe II, Duke of Burgundy, who lived from 1342 to 1404 and played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Another famous Philippe was Philippe de Commines, a Renaissance writer and diplomat who served under Louis XI of France and was born in 1447.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Philippe surname became more widespread in France, with many families adopting it as a sign of prestige and association with the upper classes. Some notable examples from this period include Philippe de Champaigne, a French painter born in 1602, and Philippe Quinault, a 17th-century playwright and librettist born in 1635.
As the Philippe surname spread across France, it also began to appear in various place names and geographic regions. For instance, the town of Philippeville in northern France is believed to have been named after a member of the Philippe family who held land or influence in the area.
Throughout the centuries, the Philippe surname has undergone several spelling variations, including Phillipe, Philipp, and Filippo, reflecting the influence of different regional dialects and linguistic traditions. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its core meaning and association with French heritage and nobility.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Philippe
Among Census respondents with the surname Philippe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Philippe bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Philippe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American73.8% · 1,787
- White18.4% · 446
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 93
- Two or more races2.9% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Philippe
Philippe appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,121
+882 bearers (+71.2%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 5,868 places
2020
#12,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,421
+300 bearers (+14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 1,885 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,028 | 1,239 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,160 | 2,121 | 0.72 | +882 bearers (+71.2%) | Up 5,868 places |
| 2020 | #12,275 | 2,421 | 0.81 | +300 bearers (+14.1%) | Up 1,885 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Philippe surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,160 | #12,275 | 13.3% |
| Count | 2,121 | 2,421 | 14.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.81 | 12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Philippe bearers went from 2,121 to 2,421 (+14.1% change). The surname moved up 1,885 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,160 to #12,275.
FAQ
Philippe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Philippe?
Name Census estimates that about 2,776 living Americans carry the surname Philippe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,471 residents.
How common is Philippe?
Philippe ranks #12,275 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,421 people with the surname Philippe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,776), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Philippe.
Has Philippe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Philippe went from 2,121 recorded bearers to 2,421. That is an increase of 300 (+14.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,160 to #12,275.
What does the Census say about the background of Philippe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Philippe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Philippe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.8% (1,787 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Philippe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (73.8%), White (18.4%), Hispanic (3.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Philippe (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Philippe mean?
A French surname derived from the Greek name Philippos, meaning "lover of horses" or "friend of horses." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Philippe (0.81 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Philippe?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Philippe is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.