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

Phillips, 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 Phillips surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phillips in America

Phillips is the 52nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phillips surname appeared 360,802 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 122 people would have the surname Phillips.

We can also compare 2010 data for Phillips 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 Phillips

The surname Phillips has its origins in the United Kingdom, tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the personal name Phillip, which comes from the Greek name Philippos, meaning "lover of horses." The name was introduced to Britain by the Normans after the conquest of England in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Phillips surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Phillipps, Phillipes, and Philips.

The Phillips surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire, where many families bearing this name were established. Some notable individuals bearing the Phillips surname include:

1. Sir Robert Phillips (c. 1492 - 1558), a Member of Parliament and prominent landowner in Worcestershire.
2. Edward Phillips (1630 - 1696), an English writer and nephew of the poet John Milton, known for his work "The New World of English Words."
3. Samuel Phillips Jr. (1625 - 1696), a Puritan settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony and the founder of Phillips Academy Andover, one of the oldest boarding schools in the United States.
4. Catherine Phillips (1631 - 1664), also known as the "Matchless Orinda," was an English poet and playwright who was highly regarded in her lifetime.
5. Sir John Phillips (1555 - 1629), a Welsh soldier and politician who served as the High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire.

The Phillips surname also has variations in spelling, such as Phillipps, Philips, and Philpot, which can be traced back to different regions and branches of the family. Additionally, the name has been associated with various place names, such as Phillipston in Worcestershire and Philipstown in County Louth, Ireland, indicating the presence of Phillips families in those areas.

Over the centuries, the Phillips surname has spread across the globe, carried by migration and exploration. Today, it remains a prominent surname in many English-speaking countries, reflecting its long-standing history and deep roots in British and European culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phillips

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

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 Phillips 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 Phillips 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 Phillips was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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