Philippe is a French masculine given name derived from the Greek name Philippos, which means "lover of horses." The name has been popular in France since the Middle Ages and was brought to other parts of Europe by returning crusaders.
The name Philippe has been borne by several notable figures throughout history. One of the most famous was Philippe II Augustus (1165-1223), who was the king of France from 1180 until his death. He is known for leading the Third Crusade and for his role in the Albigensian Crusade.
In more recent times, Philippe has been used as a given name by members of the Belgian royal family. The current King of Belgium, Philippe (born in 1960), ascended to the throne in 2013 upon the abdication of his father, Albert II.
Overall, Philippe is a classic French name with a long history and many notable bearers throughout the centuries.
The given statistics provide an interesting overview of the popularity of the name Philippe in the United States over several decades. The data spans from 1914 to 2023, showing a fluctuating trend in the number of births with this name.
In the early years, the number of babies named Philippe was relatively low, ranging between 5 and 14 births per year from 1914 to 1927. However, there were peaks in popularity during certain periods. For instance, the name reached a notable high in the late 1940s and early 1950s, with over 20 births each year between 1948 and 1953.
The peak continued into the mid-1960s, with more than 40 births annually between 1962 and 1971. This period saw the highest number of babies named Philippe in a single year, with 54 births recorded in 1964.
After this peak, the popularity of the name began to decline gradually. From the late 1970s onwards, the annual number of births with the name Philippe fluctuated between approximately 20 and 60 births per year, with occasional spikes such as in 1978 (56 births) and 1979 (59 births).
More recently, from the 1990s to the present day, the number of babies named Philippe has continued to decline. The highest recorded number of births during this period was 49 in 1999, while the most recent data shows a significant drop, with only 12 births in 2022 and 22 births in 2023.
In total, over the course of these 108 years, there have been 3015 births of children named Philippe in the United States. This comprehensive dataset provides valuable insights into the evolving trends and patterns of this particular name's popularity throughout much of the 20th and early 21st centuries.