Filipa

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Girl · Greek

Filipa

Say it: fee-LEE-pah

Try it with your surname

Meaning

Feminine of Filipe, from Greek Philippos 'lover of horses'.

Certainscholars agree on this meaning.

Came to Portugal with Philippa of Lancaster in 1387 and has remained a favourite there.

Its wave through time

Rare in the records

In the United States

5 babies given this name since 2014
At its height in 2014, about 1 in 356,700 girls
Fewer than 5 babies a year in 2020

Through the ages

Used by

The family of the name

English	Philippa
Spanish	Felipa
Italian	Filippa

Famous bearers

Philippa of Lancaster, queen of Portugal and mother of Henry the Navigator

Names worth a look

UrracaGirlOrigin unknown. It resembles Spanish urraca 'magpie', but whether the name comes from the bird word, from Basque or…Early Medieval · forgotten

BerenguelaGirlFeminine of Berenguer, from Germanic elements usually read as 'bear' and 'spear'.Middle Ages · forgotten

MuniadonaGirlMunia, a medieval name of uncertain origin, joined to dona 'lady' (Latin domina).Early Medieval · forgotten

DolçaGirlCatalan and Occitan 'sweet', from Latin dulcis.Middle Ages · forgotten

ViolanteGirlUncertain. Linked to French Yolande, whose origin is unclear; the resemblance to Latin viola 'violet' may be secondary.Middle Ages · forgotten

MencíaGirlUncertain. Sometimes derived from Latin Vincentia or from a Germanic name; neither is proven.Middle Ages · forgotten

PhilipBoyGreek Philippos, 'fond of horses' (philos 'loving' and hippos 'horse').Biblical · peak 1949

FelipeBoyFrom Greek philos 'lover' and hippos 'horse'.Colonial · peak 2001

Where this comes from

Royal and noble genealogies
National birth statistics of European countries source
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.