Philippa

Greek, feminine variation of Philip

"lover of horses"

Philippa Origin and Meaning

The name Philippa is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "lover of horses".

Philippa is a prime example of a boy's name adapted for girls that was common as crumpets in Cornwall, but rarely heard stateside. That was before the advent of royal sister-in-law Philippa Middleton, who goes by the lively nickname Pippa.

Philippa has still never appeared in the Top 1000 in the US, quite an accomplishment for a classic name that's been around for centuries. It does, however, rank on England's as well as Nameberry's own internal lists.

Pippa doesn't rank in the US either, but is far more popular than Philippa in the rest of the English-speaking world. It ranks in the Top 100 in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, and in the Top 200 in England and Scotland.

Philippa has been fashionable in England since the fourteenth century when King Edward married Philippa of Hainault. There have been several early Saint Philippas, and it was the name of the wife of Geoffrey Chaucer.

Novelist Philippa Gregory authored the bestselling historical novel The Other Boelyn Girl.

Philippa Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 639 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Philippa

• 639 Nameberry 2025
• 432 England 2023
• 358 Germany 2016

20 Names Similar to Philippa

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

• Henrietta
• Dorothea
• Augusta
• Alma
• Miriam
• Wilhelmina
• Bernadette
• Millicent
• Agnes
• Agatha
• Georgiana
• Marjorie
• Rosamund
• Tabitha
• Constance
• Marguerite
• Ramona
• Cornelia
• Ingrid
• Susannah

Famous People Named Philippa

• Philippa of Hainault Queen consort of Edward III of England
• Philippa of England Queen consort of Denmark, Sweden and Norway as wife of Eric of Pomerania
• Philippa of Lancaster Queen consort of John I of Portugal
• Philippa Charlotte "Pippa" Middleton socialite sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
• Philippa of Dreux Dame de Coucy, Countess of Bar
• Philippa Duke Schuyler American pianist
• Philippa "Pippa" Bennett Warner, English actress
• Philippa Ann "Pippa" Guard English actress
• Philippa "Pippa" Haywood English actress
• Philippa Strum American political scientist
• Philippa Gregory British historical novelist
• Philippa Rachel "Pippa" Funnell English Olympic equestrian
• Philippa Ruth Foot English philosopher
• (Ann) Philippa Pearce English children's novelist
• Philippa Boyens New Zealand screenwriter
• Philippa "Pippa" Marrack English biologist
• (Mary) Philippa Brazill Australian nursing educator and administrator
• Philippa Tomson English journalist and TV presenter
• Philippa Russell English disability activist
• Philippa Roet Chaucer wife of English poet Geoffrey Chaucer
• Philippa Marie Carolina Isabelle (b. 1988) Princess of Hohenzollern, daughter of Prince Karl Friedrich
• Philippa Frances "Pippa" Bryan (b. 2010) daughter of actress Emily Procter and Paul Bryan

The name Philippa in Pop Culture

• Philippa Fisher book series by Liz Kessler and its main character
• Philippa "Phil" Gordon character in L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series
• Dr. Philippa Horwood character in "The Hole" and "After the Hole"
• Philippa Eilhart character in the Witcher franchise
• Philippa Georgiou character in the TV series Star Trek: Discovery

International Variations of the name Philippa

• Pippa Italian
• Felipa Spanish
• Ina Polish
• Felipan French
• Philippine Polish
• Filippa French
• Felepita Spanish
• Filipa Polish
• Filia French
• Filipina Polish
• Fillippa Italian
• Philipa Polish
• Inka Polish
• Filippina Italian
• Pelipa Zuni