Phillip is a spelling of Philip, from the Greek Philippos, which combines philos, friend, with hippos, horse, and means "lover of horses". The double l comes from the surname Phillips and has been common in America since the 19th century; the name itself belonged to the apostle Philip and to Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. In the United States Phillip was number 198 in 2000, 409 in 2015 and ranks 651 in 2025.