Phineas
Boy name · Arabic · Egyptian · English · Hebrew
Meaningthe Nubian · Egyptian
- US rank
- #1,609
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #909 in 1880
105 babies were named Phineas in the US in 2025. It has dropped 186 places in five years.
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US births per million boys, 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 Phineas you might not know, from US birth records. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
- How commonAbout 1 in every 16,260 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Phineas, 105 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Phineas would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryPhineas has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Phineass, and counting.
- Best yearIts best year was 1880, when it reached #909.
- Then vs nowPhineas is 4.5× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 72,993 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 16,260.
- TrendPhineas has slipped 186 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,609. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedPhineas is most popular in New Jersey, where it ranks #915. It's in the top 1,000 in 1 state.
- MeaningIn Egyptian, Phineas means “the Nubian”. Our records link it to Arabic, Egyptian and English roots.
- OriginPhineas is the #6 most popular Egyptian boy name in the US. That's out of 41 Egyptian boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Phineas
Phineas is a boy name of Arabic, Egyptian and English origin meaning “the Nubian”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with P and ending in “-eas”. US birth records list Phineas for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 74 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked #909 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,609, with 105 babies.
Origin:Arabic namesEgyptian namesEnglish namesHebrew names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 4.5 | 220,751 boys |
| 1890s | 9.4 | 106,724 boys |
| 1910s | 4.1 | 245,098 boys |
| 1920s | 3.0 | 332,226 boys |
| 1930s | 2.8 | 363,636 boys |
| 1940s | 1.0 | 1,020,408 boys |
| 1950s | 1.1 | 869,565 boys |
| 1960s | 1.3 | 751,880 boys |
| 1970s | 1.6 | 621,118 boys |
| 1980s | 2.5 | 393,701 boys |
| 1990s | 4.0 | 253,165 boys |
| 2000s | 30 | 33,146 boys |
| 2010s | 63 | 15,775 boys |
| 2020s | 65 | 15,287 boys |
Other spellings of Phineas
More Arabic boy names
- Boy name: Caleb · dog, faithful
- Boy name: Silas · of the forest
- Boy name: Aaron · possibly exalted
- Boy name: Xavier · new house
- Boy name: Jasper · treasurer
- Boy name: Malcolm · devotee of Saint Columba
- Unisex name: Cairo · the victorious
- Boy name: Ibrahim · father of many
Questions about the name Phineas
What does the name Phineas mean?
Phineas means “the Nubian” in Egyptian.
What is the origin of the name Phineas?
Phineas has Arabic, Egyptian, English, Hebrew roots in our records. Other Arabic names include Caleb, Silas, Aaron.
Is Phineas a boy or girl name?
Phineas is a boy name.
How popular is the name Phineas?
Phineas ranked #1,609 for US boys in 2025, given to 105 babies. Its best year was 1880 (#909).