NameCensus.

UK surname

Phillips

An English patronymic surname meaning "son of Philip," derived from the Greek name Philippos, meaning "friend of horses."

In the 1881 census there were 53,458 people recorded with the Phillips surname, ranking it #51 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 82,805, ranked #47, up from #51 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Phillips is 86,144 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.9%.

1881 census count

53,458

Ranked #51

Modern count

82,805

2016, ranked #47

Peak year

1999

86,144 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Phillips had 53,458 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #51 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 82,805 in 2016, ranked #47.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 74,805 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Phillips surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Phillips surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Phillips 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 34,534 #54
1861 historical 35,704 #57
1881 historical 53,458 #51
1891 historical 58,301 #49
1901 historical 69,021 #49
1911 historical 74,805 #42
1997 modern 81,986 #44
1998 modern 85,438 #43
1999 modern 86,144 #44
2000 modern 85,668 #44
2001 modern 83,613 #44
2002 modern 84,990 #46
2003 modern 83,136 #46
2004 modern 82,951 #46
2005 modern 81,583 #45
2006 modern 81,285 #46
2007 modern 81,854 #46
2008 modern 82,079 #46
2009 modern 84,085 #46
2010 modern 85,753 #47
2011 modern 84,768 #46
2012 modern 82,498 #47
2013 modern 84,101 #47
2014 modern 84,479 #47
2015 modern 83,480 #47
2016 modern 82,805 #47

Geography

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Where Phillips' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 027 Carmarthenshire
2 Pembrokeshire 001 Pembrokeshire
3 Pembrokeshire 003 Pembrokeshire
4 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire
5 Pembrokeshire 004 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Phillips

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Phillips

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Phillips, 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 Phillips surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Phillips 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Phillips 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

Phillips is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Phillips 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 Phillips 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 Phillips, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Phillips

The surname Phillips has its origins in the United Kingdom, tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the personal name Phillip, which comes from the Greek name Philippos, meaning "lover of horses." The name was introduced to Britain by the Normans after the conquest of England in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Phillips surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Phillipps, Phillipes, and Philips.

The Phillips surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire, where many families bearing this name were established. Some notable individuals bearing the Phillips surname include:

1. Sir Robert Phillips (c. 1492 - 1558), a Member of Parliament and prominent landowner in Worcestershire. 2. Edward Phillips (1630 - 1696), an English writer and nephew of the poet John Milton, known for his work "The New World of English Words." 3. Samuel Phillips Jr. (1625 - 1696), a Puritan settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony and the founder of Phillips Academy Andover, one of the oldest boarding schools in the United States. 4. Catherine Phillips (1631 - 1664), also known as the "Matchless Orinda," was an English poet and playwright who was highly regarded in her lifetime. 5. Sir John Phillips (1555 - 1629), a Welsh soldier and politician who served as the High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire.

The Phillips surname also has variations in spelling, such as Phillipps, Philips, and Philpot, which can be traced back to different regions and branches of the family. Additionally, the name has been associated with various place names, such as Phillipston in Worcestershire and Philipstown in County Louth, Ireland, indicating the presence of Phillips families in those areas.

Over the centuries, the Phillips surname has spread across the globe, carried by migration and exploration. Today, it remains a prominent surname in many English-speaking countries, reflecting its long-standing history and deep roots in British and European culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Phillips families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Phillips 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. Middlesex leads with 6,207 Phillips' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.19x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 6,207 1.19x
Glamorgan 5,289 5.81x
Pembrokeshire 2,826 17.01x
Surrey 2,599 1.02x
Lancashire 2,451 0.40x
Staffordshire 2,086 1.18x
Carmarthenshire 2,048 9.30x
Monmouthshire 1,994 5.28x
Kent 1,777 1.00x
Warwickshire 1,771 1.34x
Devon 1,751 1.61x
Cornwall 1,652 2.79x
Hampshire 1,640 1.53x
Gloucestershire 1,526 1.49x
Yorkshire 1,483 0.29x
Worcestershire 1,123 1.65x
Sussex 1,086 1.23x
Somerset 1,053 1.25x
Shropshire 902 2.00x
Essex 855 0.83x
Herefordshire 818 3.82x
Cheshire 717 0.62x
Brecknockshire 677 6.48x
Lanarkshire 668 0.40x
Durham 561 0.36x
Suffolk 526 0.83x
Dorset 459 1.34x
Denbighshire 424 2.15x
Wiltshire 401 0.87x
Cardiganshire 400 3.14x
Lincolnshire 388 0.46x
Hertfordshire 373 1.04x
Berkshire 366 0.93x
Northamptonshire 364 0.74x
Derbyshire 325 0.40x
Northumberland 324 0.42x
Oxfordshire 309 0.96x
Nottinghamshire 278 0.39x
Cumberland 239 0.53x
Montgomeryshire 234 1.95x
Buckinghamshire 217 0.69x
Cambridgeshire 201 0.61x
Leicestershire 179 0.31x
Flintshire 166 1.18x
Norfolk 159 0.20x
Radnorshire 155 3.68x
Angus 144 0.30x
Bedfordshire 142 0.52x
Aberdeenshire 130 0.27x
Renfrewshire 125 0.31x
Midlothian 118 0.17x
Huntingdonshire 98 0.94x
Channel Islands 92 0.59x
Caernarfonshire 88 0.42x
Royal Navy 73 1.17x
Merionethshire 58 0.61x
Perthshire 57 0.24x
Dunbartonshire 55 0.39x
Fife 53 0.17x
Ayrshire 41 0.10x
Dumfriesshire 35 0.30x
Stirlingshire 33 0.17x
Anglesey 28 0.30x
Kirkcudbrightshire 23 0.30x
Argyllshire 22 0.15x
Orkney 22 0.38x
Rutland 18 0.47x
Wigtownshire 18 0.26x
Peeblesshire 12 0.49x
West Lothian 7 0.09x
Westmorland 7 0.06x
Buteshire 5 0.16x
East Lothian 5 0.07x
Inverness-shire 4 0.03x
Isle of Man 4 0.04x
Ross-shire 3 0.02x
Roxburghshire 3 0.03x
Banffshire 2 0.02x
Berwickshire 2 0.03x
Clackmannanshire 2 0.05x
Caithness 1 0.01x
Kincardineshire 1 0.02x
Selkirkshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 666 Phillips' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.52x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 666 1.52x
Llanelly 665 13.40x
Aberdare 637 10.20x
Ystradyfodwg 630 7.89x
Islington London 603 1.19x
Aston 597 1.64x
Lambeth 571 1.25x
Merthyr Tydfil 443 5.06x
St Pancras London 440 1.05x
Bedwellty 372 5.58x
Kensington London 371 1.28x
Swansea Town 334 4.48x
Mile End Old Town 322 3.90x
Camberwell 299 0.90x
Paddington London 276 1.44x
St Marylebone London 275 0.99x
Pembroke St Mary 274 12.81x
Brighton 266 1.50x
West Ham 264 1.16x
Clase 253 7.48x
Liverpool 246 0.65x
Llanwonno 241 7.37x
Portsea 241 1.15x
Battersea 237 1.23x
Hackney London 233 0.80x
Newington 218 1.13x
Bethnal Green London 215 0.95x
Deptford St Paul 211 1.53x
St George Hanover 207 3.03x
Manchester 206 0.74x
Shoreditch London 206 0.91x
Wolverhampton 206 1.52x
Stoke Upon Trent 200 1.07x
Clerkenwell London 199 1.61x
Bermondsey 198 1.27x
Carmarthen St Peter 195 10.36x
Chelsea London 189 1.20x
Ruabon 183 6.74x
Everton 178 0.90x
Barony 175 0.41x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 175 1.81x
Govan 174 0.42x
Bromley London 171 1.49x
Gelligaer 169 8.13x
Toxteth Park 168 0.80x
Eglwysilan 164 10.39x
Glasgow 160 0.53x
Aberystruth 158 4.74x
Cardiff St Mary 152 3.03x
Illogan 152 9.70x
Hammersmith London 151 1.17x
Plymouth St Andrew 150 1.79x
Cheltenham 149 1.88x
Briton Ferry 145 13.35x
St Woollos 143 3.39x
West Bromwich 140 1.39x
Newport 137 7.60x
Croydon 136 0.96x
West Derby 130 0.72x
Neath 126 6.80x
Mynyddyslwyn 125 8.39x
Llantrisant 122 5.32x
Spitalfields London 122 3.10x
Cardiff St John 119 4.00x
Lewisham 119 1.25x
Salford 118 0.65x
Southwark St George Martyr 115 1.09x
Stoke Damerel 114 1.50x
Trevethin 114 3.19x
Llanboidy 111 40.08x
Dudley 109 1.31x
Walcot 108 2.41x
Southampton St Mary 107 1.59x
Leeds 106 0.36x
Poplar London 105 1.06x
St Luke London 104 1.24x
St George In East 102 2.87x
Birkenhead 101 1.10x
Clifton 101 1.95x
Hampstead London 99 1.22x
Plymouth Charles The 99 2.07x
Roath 99 2.39x
Kedington 95 56.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3,705
Elizabeth 2,228
Sarah 1,729
Ann 1,083
Jane 1,066
Margaret 785
Eliza 773
Emma 659
Ellen 656
Annie 618
Emily 594
Martha 557
Alice 528
Hannah 518
Anne 372
Louisa 369
Catherine 367
Harriet 300
Maria 288
Charlotte 287
Edith 271
Caroline 270
Florence 255
Fanny 248
Ada 226
Kate 205
Frances 198
Lucy 188
Clara 181
Esther 178
Susan 171
Rachel 153
Agnes 151
Rebecca 141
Rose 137
Amelia 135
Harriett 123
Julia 110
Sophia 107
Amy 104
Matilda 101
Elizth. 100
Eleanor 96
Jessie 93
Minnie 93
Anna 86
Lydia 85
Susannah 85
Gertrude 82
Laura 81

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3,226
John 3,170
Thomas 2,036
George 1,484
James 1,474
Henry 1,094
Charles 985
David 806
Joseph 659
Edward 551
Richard 499
Alfred 498
Arthur 425
Samuel 407
Robert 396
Frederick 371
Walter 350
Albert 290
Benjamin 279
Harry 225
Edwin 204
Daniel 196
Frank 183
Ernest 161
Herbert 160
Francis 159
Evan 149
Wm. 144
Phillip 122
Thos. 122
Philip 92
Lewis 86
Isaac 85
Fred 76
Stephen 62
Abraham 58
Percy 57
Rees 56
Tom 55
Geo. 52
Peter 51
Andrew 50
Chas. 50
Edmund 50
Sidney 49
Fredrick 47
Willm. 45
Sydney 43
Fredk. 41
Edgar 40

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Phillips households.

FAQ

Phillips surname: questions and answers

How common was the Phillips surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53,458 people were recorded with the Phillips surname. That placed it at #51 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Phillips surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 82,805 in 2016. That gives Phillips a modern rank of #47.

What does the Phillips surname mean?

An English patronymic surname meaning "son of Philip," derived from the Greek name Philippos, meaning "friend of horses."

What does the Phillips map show?

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