Philomena: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,920

among girls · ↓101 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

101

named Philomena · -9% vs 2024

How common

1 in 15,914

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1922

308 babies

All-time total

9,951

#1,676 all-time among girls

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Philomena popularity over time

9,951 babies have been named Philomena since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	140	14	–	#511
1890s	296	30	+111%	#429
1900s	613	61	+107%	#369
1910s	2,071	207	+238%	#355
1920s	2,711	271	+31%	#371
1930s	1,070	107	-61%	#502
1940s	547	55	-49%	#867
1950s	534	53	-2%	#1,209
1960s	239	24	-55%	#1,743
1970s	115	12	-52%	#3,280
1980s	72	7	-37%	#5,720
1990s	122	12	+69%	#5,084
2000s	218	22	+79%	#4,541
2010s	665	67	+205%	#2,065
2020s (to 2025)	538	90	+35%	#1,819

Where Philomena is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	104	0.06	outside top 500
2027	106	0.07	outside top 500
2028	108	0.07	outside top 500
2029	109	0.07	outside top 500
2030	111	0.07	outside top 500

Where Philomena is most popular

Girls named Philomena per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.056 per 1,000. Strongest in Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Philomena born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Kansas	11	0.191	+242%
Pennsylvania	27	0.114	+105%
Ohio	23	0.097	+74%
Minnesota	8	0.074	+33%
Michigan	11	0.060	+8%
New York	21	0.053	-5%
Massachusetts	6	0.050	-11%
Wisconsin	5	0.049	-13%
Tennessee	7	0.044	-21%
Virginia	7	0.041	-26%
Illinois	8	0.035	-37%
New Jersey	5	0.028	-50%
Texas	20	0.025	-55%
California	20	0.024	-57%
Florida	6	0.014	-75%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Philomena

Philomena is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #1,920 in 2025 with 101 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 9,951 American babies have been named Philomena. Its peak came in 1922, when 308 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Philomena stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Philomena?

The median living Philomena is about 36 years old; half are between 8 and 74. An estimated 3,100 people named Philomena are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Philomena year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	101	#1,920
2024	111	#1,819
2023	80	#2,306
2022	83	#2,272
2021	77	#2,361
2020	86	#2,131
2019	92	#2,065
2018	87	#2,176
2017	92	#2,106
2016	93	#2,112
2015	78	#2,372
2014	67	#2,639
2013	43	#3,626
2012	41	#3,838
2011	41	#3,770
2010	31	#4,708
2009	19	#7,006
2008	24	#5,909
2007	33	#4,541
2006	25	#5,508
2005	23	#5,565
2004	27	#4,914
2003	18	#6,507
2002	17	#6,621
2001	15	#7,234
2000	17	#6,410
1995	9	#9,350
1990	5	#14,593
1985	8	#8,101
1980	7	#8,795
1975	12	#5,074
1970	20	#3,280
1965	24	#2,520
1960	43	#1,743
1955	52	#1,397
1950	59	#1,209
1945	33	#1,414
1940	65	#891
1935	79	#764
1930	178	#502
1925	270	#420
1920	270	#404
1915	284	#355
1910	81	#444
1905	73	#396
1900	38	#566
1895	32	#528
1890	21	#577
1885	14	#603
1880	10	#572

Famous people named Philomena

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Philomena Virgin martyr and saint 291–304 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Philomena, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Philomena?

The median living Philomena is about 36 years old. Half of all living Philomenas are between 8 and 74 years old.

How many people named Philomena are alive today?

An estimated 3,100 people named Philomena are alive in the United States, based on 9,951 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Philomena mean?

From Latin Philomēna, from Ancient Greek Φιλουμένη (Philouménē, literally “beloved”).

How popular is the name Philomena in 2025?

Philomena ranked #1,920 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 101 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Philomena?

9,951 babies have been named Philomena in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Philomena most popular?

Philomena peaked in 1922, when 308 newborns received the name.

Is Philomena a boy or girl name?

Philomena is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Philomena rising or falling?

Philomena is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Philomena become more popular?

Philomena is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 111 girls named Philomena in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Philomena?

Well-known people named Philomena include Philomena (religious figure).

Names like Philomena

Names that sound and feel close to Philomena: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Philomena with similar names → More names starting with P →