UK boy's name
Filip
A masculine name of Slavic origin meaning "lover of horses".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Filip is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Filip popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #323, with 136 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2013, with 439 births.
This profile covers 5,876 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 31% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 6,530 living people in the UK are called Filip. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Filip ranked #323 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 136 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2013, when 439 boys were registered as Filip.
- • Filip ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #330 in 2024.
- • About 6,530 living people in the UK are estimated to have Filip as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#323
2024
Births in 2024
136
Latest year
Peak year
2013
439 births
Estimated living
6,530
2026
Meaning
What does Filip mean?
Filip is a name of Greek origin, derived from the ancient Greek name Philippos, meaning "lover of horses." The name was widely used in ancient Greece and later in the Roman Empire.
The earliest recorded use of the name Filip dates back to the 4th century BC, when it was borne by Philippos II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. Philippos II was a powerful ruler who expanded the Macedonian Empire and laid the foundations for his son's conquests.
In the New Testament, one of the apostles of Jesus is referred to as Philip. This early Christian association contributed to the popularity of the name among early Christians.
During the Middle Ages, the name Filip was widely used across Europe, particularly in Slavic regions. It was popular among the ruling classes, and several notable historical figures bore the name, including Filip I of France (1052-1108), a French king from the House of Capet.
Another famous bearer of the name was Filip IV of Spain (1605-1665), known as "Felipe IV" in Spanish, who reigned during the Golden Age of Spanish art and literature. Under his patronage, artists such as Diego Velázquez and Pedro Calderón de la Barca flourished.
In the 19th century, Filipino revolutionary leader and writer José Rizal (1861-1896) was also known by his name's Spanish variant, "Felipe." He played a crucial role in the Philippine independence movement against Spanish colonial rule.
Other notable historical figures with the name Filip include:
1. Filip II (Macedon) (382-336 BC), King of Macedon and father of Alexander the Great. 2. Filip I of France (1052-1108), King of France from 1060 to 1108. 3. Filip II of Spain (1527-1598), King of Spain and Portugal, known as "Felipe II" in Spanish. 4. Filip III of Spain (1578-1621), King of Spain and Portugal, known as "Felipe III" in Spanish. 5. Filip I, Duke of Burgundy (1346-1404), a powerful ruler and ally of the French crown during the Hundred Years' War.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Filip over time
The chart below shows babies named Filip registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Filip, the clearest high point is 2013. The latest England and Wales figure is 136 births in 2024, compared with 439 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Filip by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Filip was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #248 | 1,053 | 5 |
| 2010s | #150 | 3,846 | 10 |
| 2000s | #809 | 952 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2018 | 25 | 4 |
Geography
Where Filip is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Filip. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Filip ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #330 in 2024.
Across the UK
Filip in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#330 in 2024
19 years of NRS records, 486 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#395 in 2023
17 years of NISRA records, 207 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Filip
-
Filip Tas
journalist; photojournalist; photographer
Belgian journalist (1918-1997)
1918-1997
Related
Names similar to Filip
- Freddie 46,945
- Finley 42,410
- Frederick 19,866
- Finlay 17,879
- Frankie 17,528
- Finn 14,413
- Felix 14,361
- Fraser 6,470
- Flynn 6,170
- Frank 5,992
- Francis 5,744
- Freddy 4,114
FAQ
Filip: questions and answers
How popular is the name Filip in the UK right now?
In 2024, Filip was ranked #323 for boys in England and Wales, with 136 births registered.
When was Filip most popular?
The peak year on record was 2013, with 439 babies registered as Filip in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Filip?
A masculine name of Slavic origin meaning "lover of horses".
How many people are called Filip in the UK?
A total of 5,876 babies have been registered as Filip across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 486 more in Scotland and 207 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Filip most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Filip ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #330 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.