NameCensus.

UK surname

Philips

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Philip, meaning "friend of horses" or "fond of horses."

In the 1881 census there were 5,508 people recorded with the Philips surname, ranking it #806 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,718, ranked #3,633, down from #806 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and St Philip and Jacob. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Greater Lochgilphead and Southend-on-Sea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Philips is 5,668 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 68.8%.

1881 census count

5,508

Ranked #806

Modern count

1,718

2016, ranked #3,633

Peak year

1861

5,668 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Philips had 5,508 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #806 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,718 in 2016, ranked #3,633.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,668 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Philips surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Philips surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Philips 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 4,464 #635
1861 historical 5,668 #485
1881 historical 5,508 #806
1891 historical 5,226 #900
1901 historical 4,061 #1,387
1911 historical 1,782 #2,745
1997 modern 1,551 #3,803
1998 modern 1,594 #3,858
1999 modern 1,602 #3,872
2000 modern 1,593 #3,874
2001 modern 1,487 #4,009
2002 modern 1,579 #3,900
2003 modern 1,483 #4,040
2004 modern 1,480 #4,051
2005 modern 1,506 #3,944
2006 modern 1,499 #3,965
2007 modern 1,558 #3,844
2008 modern 1,624 #3,748
2009 modern 1,725 #3,619
2010 modern 1,761 #3,628
2011 modern 1,713 #3,671
2012 modern 1,662 #3,721
2013 modern 1,691 #3,724
2014 modern 1,735 #3,658
2015 modern 1,693 #3,701
2016 modern 1,718 #3,633

Geography

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Where Philips' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, St Philip and Jacob, Edinburgh and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Greater Lochgilphead, Southend-on-Sea and Whitfield. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 043 Wakefield
2 Greater Lochgilphead Argyll and Bute
3 Southend-on-Sea 008 Southend-on-Sea
4 Wakefield 044 Wakefield
5 Whitfield Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Philips

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Philips

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Philips, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Philips surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Philips 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Philips is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Philips 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

Philips falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Philips 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 Philips, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Philips

The surname Philips has its origins in ancient Greece, deriving from the Greek name "Philippos," which means "lover of horses." The name first appeared in England during the Norman Conquest of 1066 when many Greek and French settlers arrived with William the Conqueror.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Philips dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled "Philippus." This early spelling was later anglicized to "Philips" and "Phillips." The name was particularly common in areas with strong Norman influence, such as Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Sir Thomas Philips (c. 1292-1367), a prominent English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in 1351. Another notable figure was William Philips (c. 1560-1608), an English playwright and poet who wrote the play "The Tragedie of Cambyses, King of Persia."

In the 17th century, the Philips family gained prominence in Wales, where they owned several estates. One of the most famous members was Sir Robert Philips (1591-1663), a Welsh politician and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the English Civil War.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Philips surname became widespread across the British Empire. Some notable individuals from this period include John Philips (1676-1709), an English poet and writer best known for his work "The Splendid Shilling," and John Philips (1800-1885), an English geologist and writer who published several works on geology and paleontology.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Samuel Philips (1758-1827), an English inventor and businessman who founded the world-renowned Philips Electrical Company in Eindhoven, Netherlands, in 1891.

Throughout history, the Philips surname has been associated with various place names, including Phillipston in Gloucestershire, England, and Philipsburg in New Jersey, USA, which were named after members of the Philips family.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Philips families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Philips 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. Lancashire leads with 583 Philips' recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.91x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 583 0.91x
Middlesex 469 0.87x
Yorkshire 328 0.61x
Staffordshire 261 1.43x
Lanarkshire 214 1.22x
Glamorgan 205 2.18x
Durham 197 1.22x
Gloucestershire 195 1.84x
Hampshire 187 1.69x
Surrey 186 0.71x
Devon 180 1.60x
Warwickshire 153 1.12x
Northumberland 136 1.69x
Sussex 125 1.37x
Kent 118 0.64x
Cheshire 112 0.94x
Somerset 104 1.19x
Shropshire 96 2.05x
Worcestershire 84 1.19x
Angus 81 1.62x
Derbyshire 80 0.94x
Aberdeenshire 79 1.58x
Cornwall 72 1.18x
Midlothian 72 0.99x
Monmouthshire 59 1.51x
Cambridgeshire 52 1.52x
Essex 51 0.48x
Suffolk 51 0.77x
Cumberland 46 0.99x
Wiltshire 46 0.96x
Caernarfonshire 45 2.06x
Renfrewshire 44 1.05x
Berkshire 43 1.06x
Dorset 41 1.15x
Pembrokeshire 41 2.38x
Buckinghamshire 40 1.22x
Nottinghamshire 39 0.53x
Lincolnshire 37 0.43x
Norfolk 35 0.42x
Flintshire 34 2.34x
Leicestershire 32 0.53x
Channel Islands 29 1.81x
Denbighshire 29 1.42x
Herefordshire 29 1.31x
Brecknockshire 27 2.50x
Dunbartonshire 27 1.86x
Hertfordshire 27 0.72x
Perthshire 27 1.11x
Ayrshire 25 0.62x
Stirlingshire 25 1.25x
Montgomeryshire 24 1.94x
Cardiganshire 22 1.67x
Carmarthenshire 22 0.96x
Oxfordshire 20 0.60x
Huntingdonshire 16 1.49x
East Lothian 15 2.09x
Merionethshire 13 1.31x
Bedfordshire 12 0.43x
Radnorshire 11 2.52x
Dumfriesshire 9 0.75x
Kirkcudbrightshire 9 1.15x
West Lothian 9 1.10x
Isle of Man 8 0.80x
Orkney 8 1.34x
Royal Navy 8 1.24x
Banffshire 6 0.53x
Fife 6 0.19x
Northamptonshire 6 0.12x
Selkirkshire 6 1.23x
Anglesey 5 0.52x
Argyllshire 2 0.13x
Buteshire 2 0.61x
Kincardineshire 2 0.30x
Roxburghshire 2 0.20x
Wigtownshire 2 0.28x
Caithness 1 0.14x
Peeblesshire 1 0.39x
Rutland 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 72 Philips' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.63x.

Place Total Index
Barony 72 1.63x
Manchester 60 2.08x
Birmingham 52 1.14x
Lambeth 46 0.98x
Hackney London 44 1.45x
Wombridge 44 76.26x
Glasgow 43 1.38x
Islington London 41 0.78x
Liverpool 41 1.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 39 2.01x
Plymouth St Andrew 38 4.38x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 36 3.60x
Dundee 36 1.92x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 34 1.17x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 32 3.41x
Govan 32 0.74x
Mile End Old Town 32 3.75x
St George Hanover 32 4.53x
Kensington London 29 0.96x
St Marylebone London 28 0.97x
Aston 27 0.72x
Bedminster 27 3.30x
Portsea 27 1.24x
Camberwell 26 0.75x
Stockton On Tees 26 3.35x
Toxteth Park 25 1.15x
Westbury On Severn East 25 10.42x
Leicester St Margaret 24 1.64x
Swansea Town 24 3.11x
Hulme 23 1.72x
Idmiston 22 205.61x
Leeds 22 0.73x
Walsall Foreign 22 2.33x
Aberdeen Old Machar 21 2.01x
Brighton 21 1.14x
Newport 21 11.26x
Tonbridge 21 3.15x
Wingate 21 19.03x
Everton 20 0.98x
Liff Benvie 20 2.63x
Llanwnda 20 107.58x
Newington 20 1.00x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 19 2.73x
Loughor 19 37.98x
Millom 19 13.31x
Rhyndwyclydach 19 29.07x
Bermondsey 18 1.12x
Dudley 18 2.10x
Hornsey 18 2.63x
Hove 18 4.50x
Warrington 18 2.37x
Elswick 17 2.65x
Falkirk 17 3.64x
Great Grimsby 17 3.10x
Hargrave 17 218.51x
Holbeck 17 4.79x
Kirkdale 17 1.57x
Paddington London 17 0.85x
Stanton All Sts 17 223.98x
West Ham 17 0.72x
Aldershot 16 4.31x
Bishopwearmouth 16 1.16x
Bristol St James St Paul 16 4.52x
Burslem 16 3.06x
Chelsea London 16 0.98x
Clifton 16 2.98x
Hastings St Mary In The 16 8.22x
Limehouse London 16 2.69x
St Andrew Holborn 16 8.72x
Stoke Damerel 16 2.03x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 15 3.00x
Checkley 15 31.63x
Gateshead 15 1.24x
Linthorpe 15 4.69x
Penkridge 15 31.85x
Southampton St Mary 15 2.15x
Swansea Higher 15 15.29x
Westgate 15 3.01x
Nottingham St Mary 14 0.74x
Skircoat 14 6.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 332
Elizabeth 201
Sarah 163
Jane 98
Ann 96
Ellen 80
Eliza 70
Annie 66
Emily 63
Margaret 63
Emma 61
Alice 58
Hannah 48
Martha 41
Maria 38
Louisa 36
Clara 35
Anne 29
Catherine 28
Caroline 27
Charlotte 27
Florence 26
Harriet 26
Kate 26
Fanny 24
Ada 22
Edith 20
Agnes 19
Lucy 17
Susan 17
Amelia 16
Rose 16
Esther 15
Matilda 15
Isabella 13
Rachel 13
Frances 12
Anna 11
Julia 11
Harriett 10
Elizth. 9
Jessie 9
Eleanor 8
Gertrude 8
Laura 8
Amy 7
Betsy 7
Helen 7
Lydia 7
Rebecca 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 315
William 287
Thomas 196
James 173
George 156
Charles 87
Henry 87
Joseph 72
David 54
Robert 52
Edward 48
Alfred 44
Samuel 40
Richard 37
Arthur 34
Frederick 31
Walter 27
Albert 26
Wm. 20
Harry 19
Daniel 18
Frank 17
Benjamin 16
Edwin 16
Francis 15
Philip 15
Ernest 13
Evan 13
Herbert 13
Peter 12
Stephen 10
Fred 9
Geo. 9
Patrick 9
Abraham 8
Alexander 8
Thos. 8
Henery 7
Isaac 7
Andrew 6
Mark 6
Michael 6
Sidney 6
Chas. 5
Edgar 5
Horace 5
Jno. 5
Sydney 5
Jacob 4
Owen 4

FAQ

Philips surname: questions and answers

How common was the Philips surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,508 people were recorded with the Philips surname. That placed it at #806 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Philips surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,718 in 2016. That gives Philips a modern rank of #3,633.

What does the Philips surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Philip, meaning "friend of horses" or "fond of horses."

What does the Philips map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Philips 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.