NameCensus.

UK surname

Philipps

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Philip, meaning "lover of horses".

In the 1881 census there were 292 people recorded with the Philipps surname, ranking it #9,912 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 219, ranked #18,422, down from #9,912 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Llys-y-Fran, Hubberston and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest Heath, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Philipps is 483 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 25.0%.

1881 census count

292

Ranked #9,912

Modern count

219

2016, ranked #18,422

Peak year

1891

483 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Philipps had 292 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,912 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 219 in 2016, ranked #18,422.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 483 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Philipps surname distribution map

The map shows where the Philipps surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Philipps surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Philipps over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 274 #8,176
1861 historical 308 #8,233
1881 historical 292 #9,912
1891 historical 483 #7,638
1901 historical 375 #9,917
1911 historical 378 #9,698
1997 modern 170 #19,505
1998 modern 174 #19,729
1999 modern 190 #18,797
2000 modern 196 #18,431
2001 modern 191 #18,453
2002 modern 197 #18,474
2003 modern 203 #17,967
2004 modern 196 #18,438
2005 modern 199 #18,198
2006 modern 201 #18,226
2007 modern 192 #18,975
2008 modern 193 #19,077
2009 modern 204 #18,779
2010 modern 196 #19,698
2011 modern 204 #19,040
2012 modern 203 #19,025
2013 modern 218 #18,441
2014 modern 219 #18,523
2015 modern 212 #18,842
2016 modern 219 #18,422

Geography

Back to top

Where Philipps' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Llys-y-Fran, Hubberston, London parishes and Redruth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest Heath, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Herefordshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Llys-y-Fran Pembrokeshire
2 Hubberston Pembrokeshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Redruth Cornwall
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest Heath 005 Forest Heath
2 Pembrokeshire 007 Pembrokeshire
3 Carmarthenshire 006 Carmarthenshire
4 Herefordshire 012 Herefordshire, County of
5 Herefordshire 017 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Philipps

These lists show first names that appear often with the Philipps surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Philipps

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Philipps, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Philipps surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Philipps household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Philipps is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Philipps is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Philipps falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Philipps is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Philipps, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Philipps

The surname PHILIPPS is derived from the personal name Philip, which has Greek origins meaning "lover of horses". It is believed to have originated in England, possibly during the Middle Ages when personal names were adopted as hereditary surnames.

The earliest recorded instances of the PHILIPPS surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of England, such as Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire. It was often spelled with variations like Phillipps, Philips, or Philippes during that time period.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to individuals with the given name Philip, but no specific mentions of the surname PHILIPPS. However, the surname likely emerged from these early records of the personal name.

The PHILIPPS surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One example is Sir Robert Philipps (1587-1663), a Welsh judge and politician who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.

Another prominent individual bearing this surname was John Philipps (1589-1663), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1659 to 1660.

In the literary realm, Katherine Philips (1632-1664), also known as the "Matchless Orinda", was an acclaimed English poet and writer who gained recognition for her poetry during the 17th century.

The PHILIPPS surname can also be traced to place names such as Phillipstown in Ireland, which was named after Sir Robert Philipps, and Phillips County in Arkansas, named after Sylvanus Phillips, an early settler in the region.

Other notable individuals with the PHILIPPS surname include William Philipps (1775-1828), a Welsh landowner and antiquarian, and John Philipps (1701-1764), a Welsh landowner and Member of Parliament.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Philipps families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Philipps surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Pembrokeshire leads with 42 Philipps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.72x.

County Total Index
Pembrokeshire 42 46.72x
Lancashire 26 0.77x
Middlesex 25 0.88x
Kent 19 1.97x
Gloucestershire 17 3.06x
Carmarthenshire 14 11.74x
Devon 14 2.38x
Cardiganshire 10 14.49x
Staffordshire 10 1.05x
Somerset 9 1.98x
Dorset 8 4.31x
Essex 8 1.43x
Cornwall 7 2.19x
Sussex 7 1.47x
Yorkshire 7 0.25x
Angus 6 2.29x
Dunbartonshire 6 7.89x
Shropshire 5 2.05x
Surrey 5 0.36x
Derbyshire 4 0.90x
Northumberland 4 0.95x
Suffolk 4 1.16x
Wiltshire 4 1.60x
Channel Islands 3 3.58x
Glamorgan 3 0.61x
Warwickshire 3 0.42x
Worcestershire 3 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.17x
Herefordshire 2 1.72x
Midlothian 2 0.53x
Norfolk 2 0.46x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.52x
Ayrshire 1 0.47x
Clackmannanshire 1 4.28x
Cumberland 1 0.41x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Lanarkshire 1 0.11x
Leicestershire 1 0.32x
Shetland 1 3.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hulme in Lancashire leads with 12 Philipps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.12x.

Place Total Index
Hulme 12 17.12x
Jeffreston 11 2291.67x
Lledrod Lower 9 1578.95x
East Teignmouth 8 331.95x
Gloucester St Mary Lode 8 615.38x
Lee 8 57.10x
Llysyfrane 8 4210.53x
Paddington London 8 7.69x
Winfrith Newburgh 8 860.22x
Mathry 7 909.09x
West Monkton 7 700.00x
Boxted 6 750.00x
Row 6 61.04x
Barrow In Furness 5 10.95x
Chetwynd 5 632.91x
Dale 5 1562.50x
Edmonton 5 21.94x
Llanegwad 5 314.47x
Montrose 5 31.49x
Ramsgate 5 31.75x
St Enoder 5 458.72x
Cheltenham 4 9.35x
Chesterfield 4 24.10x
Farnham 4 37.31x
Ilketshall St Andrew 4 869.57x
Llangunnor 4 377.36x
Tenby St Mary In 4 87.34x
Walsall Foreign 4 8.11x
Bow London 3 8.33x
Brighton 3 3.12x
Islington London 3 1.09x
Kensington London 3 1.91x
Kirkdale 3 5.31x
Llandaff 3 18.30x
Salisbury St Edmund 3 74.63x
Wallsend 3 22.47x
Westerham 3 134.53x
Wolverhampton 3 4.09x
Abergwilly 2 102.04x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 7.66x
Birkdale 2 23.56x
Bradford 2 540.54x
Bulwell 2 24.13x
Carmarthen St Peter 2 19.63x
Duncton 2 769.23x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 2 19.70x
Haverfordwest St Mary 2 155.04x
Langley 2 1333.33x
Liverpool 2 0.98x
Narberth North 2 125.00x
Pulham St Mary Virgin 2 250.00x
Sandal Magna 2 48.19x
St Peter Port 2 12.89x
Tonbridge 2 5.75x
Upton Cum Chalvey 2 29.37x
Worcester St Clement 2 85.11x
Bristol St Augustine 1 11.17x
Chelsea London 1 1.17x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 11.16x
Eye 1 147.06x
Felstead 1 52.36x
Glasgow 1 0.62x
Haverfordwest St Thomas 1 55.56x
Hereford All Sts 1 18.83x
Highworth 1 31.25x
Kingston On Thames 1 3.02x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 44.44x
Linthorpe 1 5.98x
Loudoun 1 19.65x
Manningham 1 2.90x
Pembroke St Mary 1 8.64x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.20x
Polesworth 1 29.50x
Rochford 1 322.58x
Saltash 1 40.32x
South Brent 1 129.87x
St George Hanover 1 2.71x
St Helier 1 3.66x
Tipton 1 3.42x
Wigton 1 27.40x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Philipps surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 11
Sarah 9
Jane 8
Emily 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Ann 3
Catherine 3
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Ethel 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Blanche 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Esther 2
Eva 2
Fanny 2
Gertrude 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Philippa 2
Winifred 2
Arabella 1
Cecelia 1
Clara 1
David 1
Eliz.Ann 1
Elizth. 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Harriette 1
Hate 1
Henrietta 1
Hilda 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Judith 1
Justina 1
Kate 1
Larry 1
Lettice 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
M.A. 1
Mabel 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Philipps surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 25
John 17
Thomas 11
James 10
Charles 7
George 7
Richard 4
Arthur 3
Henry 3
Edmund 2
Edward 2
Evan 2
Gilbert 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Owen 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Antoine 1
Authur 1
Bertrand 1
Cecil 1
Clifford 1
David 1
Dominic 1
Emma 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Harry 1
Hendry 1
Ivor 1
J.T. 1
Lional 1
Llewellyn 1
Martin 1
Percy 1
Rees 1
Rhodric 1
Sutherland 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Trevelyan 1
Willis 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Philipps surname: questions and answers

How common was the Philipps surname in 1881?

In 1881, 292 people were recorded with the Philipps surname. That placed it at #9,912 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Philipps surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 219 in 2016. That gives Philipps a modern rank of #18,422.

What does the Philipps surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Philip, meaning "lover of horses".

What does the Philipps map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Philipps bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.