2000
#98,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Philippou
A surname of Greek origin meaning "lover of horses".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 241 Americans carry the last name Philippou. That puts it at #93,627 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,422,217 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Philippou 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Philippou with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
241
1 in 1,422,217
Census rank
#93,627
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
210
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 210 bearers of the surname Philippou in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 93627th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Philippou, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Philippou
The surname PHILIPPOU has its origins in Cyprus, an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea. The name can be traced back to the 12th century and is derived from the Greek name "Philippos," which means "lover of horses." The suffix "-ou" indicates a patronymic or a name derived from one's father or ancestor.
The PHILIPPOU name likely originated in the central plains of Cyprus, where horse breeding and trading were prominent activities during the medieval period. It is possible that the earliest bearers of this name were involved in these equine-related professions or trades.
Historical records from the Venetian period in Cyprus (1489-1571) mention several individuals with the PHILIPPOU surname, indicating its widespread use across various villages and towns on the island. One notable example is a land deed from 1523 that references a certain Georgios PHILIPPOU, a landowner in the village of Kato Drys.
The earliest recorded instance of the PHILIPPOU name appears in a Byzantine manuscript from the 14th century, which mentions a monk named Kyriakos PHILIPPOU. This document is currently housed in the Monastery of Kykkos, one of the wealthiest and most influential monasteries in Cyprus.
During the Venetian period, a prominent PHILIPPOU family resided in the coastal town of Larnaca. Petros PHILIPPOU (1543-1612) was a successful merchant and ship owner who played a vital role in the island's trade with Venice and other Mediterranean ports.
Another noteworthy figure was Nikolaos PHILIPPOU (1685-1754), a scholar and theologian who served as the Archbishop of Cyprus from 1730 until his death. He was renowned for his contributions to the preservation of Greek Orthodox traditions and his efforts to promote education among the Cypriot population.
In the 19th century, a PHILIPPOU family from the village of Omodos produced several notable individuals. Ioannis PHILIPPOU (1820-1893) was a revered teacher and poet who wrote extensively about Cypriot culture and traditions. His nephew, Pavlos PHILIPPOU (1865-1942), became a respected lawyer and politician, serving as a member of the Legislative Council during the British colonial period.
As Cyprus underwent various cultural and political changes throughout its history, the PHILIPPOU surname has endured, reflecting the island's rich heritage and the resilience of its people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Philippou
Among Census respondents with the surname Philippou, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Philippou 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 Philippou surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 175
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 16
- Two or more races5.2% · 11
- Black or African American1.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Philippou
Philippou 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
#98,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 183
+13 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 212 places
2020
#93,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 210
+27 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 5,355 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #98,770 | 170 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #98,982 | 183 | 0.06 | +13 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 212 places |
| 2020 | #93,627 | 210 | 0.07 | +27 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 5,355 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 Philippou 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 | #98,982 | #93,627 | 5.4% |
| Count | 183 | 210 | 14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Philippou bearers went from 183 to 210 (+14.8% change). The surname moved up 5,355 positions in the national ranking, going from #98,982 to #93,627.
FAQ
Philippou surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Philippou?
Name Census estimates that about 241 living Americans carry the surname Philippou. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,422,217 residents.
How common is Philippou?
Philippou ranks #93,627 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 210 people with the surname Philippou. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (241), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Philippou.
Has Philippou become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Philippou went from 183 recorded bearers to 210. That is an increase of 27 (+14.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #98,982 to #93,627.
What does the Census say about the background of Philippou?
Among Census respondents with the surname Philippou, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Philippou in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (175 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Philippou appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Hispanic (7.6%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Philippou (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 Philippou mean?
A surname of Greek origin meaning "lover 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 Philippou (0.07 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 many Americans have the surname Philippou?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.