Philomena comes from the Greek Philoumene, "beloved", though it is also often read as philos plus menos, "friend of strength". Saint Philomena, a young martyr whose remains were found in the Roman catacombs in 1802, inspired a wave of devotion in the 19th century, and the 2013 film Philomena with Judi Dench brought the name back into view. Philomena peaked at number 1819 in 2024 and ranks number 1920 in 2025.