🔥Phineas

FIN-ee-us

English, Egyptian

"the Nubian"

Phineas Origin and Meaning

The name Phineas is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Nubian".

Phineas is the English variation of Phinehas, a Hebrew name likely derived from the Egyptian name Pa-nehasi. Pa-nehasi, meaning "the Nubian" can also be translated as "the bronze-colored one." The Egyptians distinguished themselves from their Nubian neighbors through differences in skin tone.

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake gave it star-cred when they used it for their son in 2020, but it was Julia Roberts who drew the biblical Phineas into the limelight back in 2004. She chose the even-more-antique spelling Phinnaeus for her twin son, now called Finn. Phineas had last been heard from via circus impresario Phineas T. Barnum, until it was brought somewhat up to date via the Disney Channel animated show Phineas and Ferb.

Anthony Trollope combined name and nickname for the young, handsome and charming Irish lawyer hero of his eponymous novel, Phineas Finn. Phineas is also the name of three biblical personages and was popular among the seventeenth century Puritans. Jazz pianist Phineas Newborn, Jr. is a contemporary namesake.

Trivia note: In early movies, characters named Phineas had nicknames like Prune, Whipsnake and Whoopee.

Bottom line: A quirky path to nickname Finn.

Phineas Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 251 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Phineas

• 251 Nameberry 2025
• 718 Unique 2023

20 Names Similar to Phineas

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Phineas.

• Amos
• Linus
• Percy
• Augustine
• Edwin
• Solomon
• Thaddeus
• Angus
• Benedict
• Reuben
• Lionel
• Darcy
• Hamish
• Augustus
• Claude
• Abel
• Gideon
• Edmund
• Desmond
• Cecil

Famous People Named Phineas

• Phineas Taylor "P. T." Barnum American circus showman
• Phineas F. Bresee founder of the Church of the Nazarene
• Phineas Parkhurst Quimby American philosopher and healer
• Phineas Gage American railroad foreman who survived a freak accident
• Phineas Lyman Tracy U.S. Congressman from New York
• Phineas Newborn Jr. American jazz pianist
• Phineas Jones U.S. Congressman from New Jersey
• Phineas Warren Hitchcock U.S. Senator from Nebraska
• Phineas Bruce U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts
• Phineas Howe Young American Mormon leader; son of Brigham Young
• Phineas Chapman Lounsbury American politician; 53rd Governor of Connecticut
• Phineas Francis son of singer Wil Francis of horror punk band Aiden
• Phineas Davidson (b. 2009) son of actors Mary Stuart Masterson and Jeremy Davidson
• Matthew Phineas Previn son of actress Mia Farrow and composer Andre Previn
• Logan Phineas Miller Murphy (b. 2012) son of producer Ryan Murphy and David Miller

The name Phineas in Pop Culture

• Phineas Horton character in Marvel Comics
• Phineas "Finny" a character in "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
• Phineas Nigellus Black a minor character in the "Harry Potter" series
• Phineas Fletcher friend to Simeon Halliday in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1851)
• Phineas Fletcher narrator of "John Halifax, Gentleman" (1856)
• Phineas Flynn character on animated series "Phineas and Ferb"
• Phineas Filch character in video game Ace Attorney'
• Phineas Darkon character n the "Genius" series, by Catherine Jinks
• Phineas T. Bluster a puppet character on the television show Howdy Doody
• Phineas Bogg a character in Voyagers!
• Phineas Finn character in the series by Anthony Trollope
• Phineas T. Freakears character in Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
• Phineas a character in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts
• Phineas Sharp character in Disney's Darkwing Duck
• Phineas character in Allies in Power Rangers: Mystic Force
• Phineas multiple characters in Disney's The Haunted Mansion ride
• Phineas T. Ratchet antagonist in the movie "Robots"