Philip

Phillip, Philip
Pronunciation/ˈfɪlɪp/ FIL-ip
GenderMale
Name day14 November
Origin
Word/nameGreek: Φίλιππος
Meaning"fond of horses"
Other names
Cognate(s)

Philip, also Phillip, is a male name, derived from the Greek Φίλιππος (Philippos, lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"[1][2]), from a compound of φίλος (philos, "dear", "loved", "loving") and ἵππος (hippos, "horse").[3] Prominent Philips who popularized the name include kings of Macedonia and one of the apostles of early Christianity.

Philip has many alternative spellings. One derivation often used as a surname is Phillips. The original Greek spelling includes two Ps as seen in Philippides and Philippos, which is possible due to the Greek endings following the two Ps. To end a word with such a double consonant—in Greek or in English—would, however, be incorrect. It has many diminutive (or even hypocoristic) forms including Phil, Philly, Phillie, Lip, and Pip. There are also feminine forms such as Philippine and Philippa.

  1. ^ φίλιππος. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
  2. ^ Harper, Douglas. "Philip". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  3. ^ φίλος, ἵππος in Liddell and Scott.