Philomena
Meaninglover of strength · Greek
- US rank
- #1,911
- Syllables
- 4
- Peak
- #355 in 1915
101 babies were named Philomena in the US in 2025. It has climbed 204 places in five years.
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US births per million girls, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Philomena you might not know, from US birth records. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
- How commonAbout 1 in every 15,924 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Philomena, 101 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Philomena would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryPhilomena has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Philomenas, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1915, when it ranked #355. Today it's #1,911, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowPhilomena is 6.7× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 106,383 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 15,924.
- TrendPhilomena has climbed 204 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,911. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Where it's lovedPhilomena is most popular in Ohio, where it ranks #878, followed by Virginia (#936). It's in the top 1,000 in 2 states.
- MeaningIn Greek, Philomena means “lover of strength”.
About the name Philomena
Philomena is a girl name meaning “lover of strength”. It has 9 letters and 4 syllables, starting with P and ending in “-ena”. US birth records list Philomena for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 145 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked #355 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,911, with 101 babies.
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 106 | 9,420 girls |
| 1890s | 132 | 7,598 girls |
| 1900s | 207 | 4,820 girls |
| 1910s | 252 | 3,967 girls |
| 1920s | 226 | 4,416 girls |
| 1930s | 100 | 9,981 girls |
| 1940s | 39 | 25,707 girls |
| 1950s | 28 | 35,765 girls |
| 1960s | 13 | 77,220 girls |
| 1970s | 7.3 | 136,054 girls |
| 1980s | 4.2 | 238,663 girls |
| 1990s | 6.8 | 146,199 girls |
| 2000s | 12 | 85,106 girls |
| 2010s | 38 | 26,219 girls |
| 2020s | 55 | 18,078 girls |
Other spellings of Philomena
Questions about the name Philomena
What does the name Philomena mean?
Philomena means “lover of strength” in Greek.
Is Philomena a boy or girl name?
Philomena is a girl name.
How popular is the name Philomena?
Philomena ranked #1,911 for US girls in 2025, given to 101 babies. Its best year was 1915 (#355).