Find out how popular the last name Phill is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Phill.

Phill, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Phill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phill in America

Phill is the 84136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phill surname appeared 223 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Phill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Phill to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Phill

The surname PHILL is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the personal name Philip, which has its roots in the Greek name Philippos, meaning "lover of horses." The name Philip was introduced to Britain by the Norman French after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In its earliest recorded form, the surname PHILL was spelled as PHIL or PHYLL. These variations can be found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname PHILL was Robert Phyll, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195. The Pipe Rolls were administrative records of the English Exchequer, which documented financial transactions and taxes paid to the Crown.

Another notable historical figure with the surname PHILL was Sir John Phill, a renowned English soldier and member of the Order of the Garter during the reign of King Edward III in the 14th century. He was born around 1310 and played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War against France.

In the 15th century, the surname PHILL was also associated with various place names, such as Philpott in Sussex, which was derived from the Old English words "phil" and "pot," meaning "deep pool" or "deep pit." This place name connection suggests that some PHILL families may have originated from or lived in areas with similar toponymic features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PHILL in its modern spelling can be found in the records of the Parish Registers of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1594, where a certain Thomas Phill was mentioned.

Towards the end of the 16th century, the surname PHILL gained further prominence with the birth of John Phill (1570-1629), an English playwright and poet who was part of the literary circle surrounding William Shakespeare. He is best known for his tragedy "The Life and Death of Cardinal Wolsey."

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname PHILL, including:

1. Sir Christopher Phill (1516-1594), an English soldier and politician during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Richard Phill (1609-1670), an English Puritan minister and member of the Westminster Assembly.
3. Edward Phill (1644-1718), an English barrister and legal writer who authored the influential work "The Compleat Clerk."
4. William Phill (1738-1805), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in the voyages of Captain James Cook.
5. Mary Phill (1789-1865), a British botanist and illustrator known for her contributions to the study of seaweeds and algae.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phill

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Phill.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Phill was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Phill has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Phill was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Phill, please contact us.

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