Contents [hide]

Philip History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Sources

Philip History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Wales
Ireland

Etymology of Philip

What does the name Philip mean?

The ancestors of the bearers of the name Philip were the ancient Britons that inhabited in the hills and Moors of Wales. This surname was derived from the personal name Philip. This name, which was usually Latinized as Philippus, was originally derived from the Greek name Philippos. This Greek name was composed of the words "philein," which means "to love," and "hippos," which means "horse." The personal name Philip owed its popularity to the medieval romances about Alexander the Great, whose father was Philip of Macedon.

Philip of Poiters (died 1208?) was Bishop of Durham and a favourite clerk of Richard I. He accompanied the latter on his crusade of 1189, and was present at his marriage with Berengaria of Navarre at Cyprus in 1191. 1

Early Origins of the Philip family

The surname Philip was first found in Kent, where legend has it that the family (but not the surname) is descended from Maximus, the Briton, Roman Emperor from 383 until his death in 388, and the King of Britain, when he married the daughter of Octavius, King of the Britons. Later the family was forced back into Wales by the invading Saxons, where they traditionally claim descent from Tudwal (c.AD 528-564) "of the wounded knee," a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, first King of Wales.

Early History of the Philip family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Philip research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1279, 1500, 1533, 1543, 1560, 1566, 1568, 1570, 1586, 1587, 1588, 1594, 1599, 1604, 1613, 1614, 1620, 1629, 1630, 1631, 1638, 1640, 1644, 1653, 1662, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1696, 1699, 1701, 1706, 1709, 1720, 1721, 1724, 1749 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Philip History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Philip Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Philip have included Phillips, Philips, Phillip, Philip, Pilip, Pillips, Fillip, Filip, Filips, Phillipes, Philipes, Phillup, Philups, Fillups, Filups, Pilups, Pillups, Fulop and many more.

Early Notables of the Philip family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

Miles Philips (fl. 1587), was an English mariner with Captain John Hawkyns on his voyage of 1568. He and another 114 were put ashore near Panuco, Mexico. They were captured and indentured as domestic...
Sir Robert Phelips (c. 1586-1638), was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1604 and 1629; Edward Phelips (c. 1613-1680), was an English landowner and politician, Member of Pa...
Morgan Philipps or Philippes (died 1570) was a Welsh Catholic divine, a native of Monmouthshire, who entered the university of Oxford in or about 1533
James Philipps (1594-1674), was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1653 and 1662; Edward Phillips (1630- c.1696) and his brother John Phillips (1631-1706) both wrote important...
Ambrose Philips (1675-1749) was an English poet said to have descended from an old Leicestershire family
John Philip (fl. 1566), was an English author who produced in 1566 three black-letter tracts, chiefly in doggerel verse, describing the curious trial at Chelmsford of three witches, Elizabeth Frauncis...

Philip Ranking

In the United States, the name Philip is the 6,527^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Philip is ranked the 2,715^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Philip family to Ireland

Some of the Philip family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 109 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Philip migration to the United States +

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Philip:

Philip Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Philip, who arrived in New York in 1709 4
Hans Philip, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1728 4
Lambrecht Philip, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 4
John Nichs Philip, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 4
Caspar Philip, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Philip Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Carl Philip, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 4
Gottfried Wilhelm Philip, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 4
Angel Philip, aged 32, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1840 4
H Philip, aged 29, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 4
James Philip, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Philip Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. John Philip, (b. 1884), aged 19, Cornish farmer, from Liskeard, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Celtic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th April 1903 en route to Winnipeg, Manitoba, USA 5
Mr. James Henry Philip, (b. 1877), aged 27, Cornish labourer, from St Newlyn East, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Cedric" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 15th April 1904 en route to Norway, Michigan, USA 5

Philip migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Philip Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Oliver Philip, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Emma" in 1837 6
Phillippa Philip, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Emma" in 1837 6
John Philip, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Emma" in 1837 6
Mr. George H. Philip, (b. 1858), aged 20, Cornish painter travelling aboard the ship "Pericles" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 10th November 1878 7
Mrs. Ellen J. Philip, (b. 1859), aged 19, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Pericles" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 10th November 1878 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Philip migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Philip Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Margaret Philip, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1859 8
David Philip, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Beauty" in 1863
Helen Philip, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Beauty" in 1863
Margaret Philip, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Beauty" in 1863
James A. Philip, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Beauty" in 1863
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Philip (post 1700) +

James Peyton "Pate" Philip (1930-2023), American politician
James "Pate" Philip (b. 1930), American Republican
Robert Philip (1791-1858), Scottish divine, born at Huntly in Aberdeenshire
John Birnie Philip (1824-1875), English sculptor, son of William and Elizabeth Philip, born in London; the family was originally from Scotland
Dr John Philip (1775-1851), Scottish missionary in South Africa, son of a schoolmaster of Kirkcaldy, Fife
Alexander Philip Wilson Philip (1770-1851), Scottish physician and physiologist, his surname being originally Wilson; he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society and on his way to London, he assumed the additional surname of Philip
Ira Philip (1925-2018), Bermudian writer and politician
André Philip (1902-1970), French politician
Vincent Philip d'Onofrio (b. 1959), American actor, director, producer, writer, and singer, known for his roles as Edgar/the Bug in Men in Black, Detective Robert Goren in Law & Order: Criminal Intent and most recently as Wilson Fisk in the Netflix series Daredevil
Simon Philip Cowell (b. 1959), English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality who has judged on the British television talent competition shows Pop Idol (2001â€“2003), The X Factor UK (2004â€“2010, 2014â€“2018), and Britain's Got Talent (2007â€“present), and American television talent competition shows American Idol (2002â€“2010), and America's Got Talent (2016â€“present)

The Philip Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ducit amor patriae
Motto Translation: Patriotism leads me.

Sources +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY EMMA 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837LadyEmma.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 19). Emigrants to Australia NSW 1860 -88 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/nsw_passenger_lists_1860_88.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html