Pippa

English, diminutive of Philippa
"lover of horses"

Pippa Origin and Meaning

The name Pippa is a girl's name of English, Italian origin meaning "lover of horses".

Pippa, a peppy condensation of Philippa that turns it from serious to sprightly, has come into the public eye in a big way via the former Kate Middleton's sister.

Pippa can and is given as a name in its own right, and may also be short for names other than Philippa: Penelope, for instance, or Patricia, or the more out-of-the-box Philippine.

Heard far more in the UK (where it's currently in the Top 200) than the US, Pippa has been used on its own since the nineteenth century, popularized by Robert Browning's dramatic poem, Pippa Passes. A recent book and film was titled The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.

Expectant parents should be warned, however, that the word pippa or pipa has an unsavory slang meaning in several European languages, including Italian, Swedish, Polish, and Greek.

# 245 on Nameberry

Pippa Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Pippa Popularity

Famous People Named Pippa

  • Philippa Charlotte "Pippa" Middleton
    sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
  • Pippa Scott
    American actress
  • Philippa "Pippa" Bennett
    Warner, English actress
  • Philippa Rachel "Pippa" Funnell
    English Olympic equestrian
  • Pippa Mann
    English racing driver
  • Philippa Jill "Pippa" Olivier Harris
    English film producer
  • Pippa Black
    Australian actress
  • Philippa Ann "Pippa" Guard
    English actress
  • Pippa Nixon
    English actress
  • Philippa "Pippa" Haywood
    English actress
  • Pippa Steel
    German actress
  • Pippa Jody Grandison
    Australian actress
  • Phillipa "Pippa" Soo
    American actress and singer
  • Philippa Frances "Pippa" Bryan (b. 2010)
    daughter of actress Emily Procter and Paul Bryan
  • Pippa Jean Rollins (b. 2017)
    daughter of American actress Lindsay Sloane

Pippa in Pop Culture

  • Pippa
    main character in Robert Browning's "Pippa Passes"
  • "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
    " by Rebecca Miller
  • Philippa "Pippa" Saunders
    character on "Home and Away"
  • Pippa Cross
    from Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray
  • Pippa
    Eve's daughter in the Eve series by Anna Carey
  • Pippa Gillespie
    character on TV's "Broadchurch"
  • Pippa
    character from book The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
  • Pippa Ridley
    character in 2004 film "Haven"