Origins of the Phillips surname

What does the name Phillips mean?

The origin of the Phillips surname is English and has been found in records dating back to the 1200s. Phillips is a patronymic name that denotes someone who is the son or descendant of a person named Phillip, a popular name until the reign of Elizabeth I.

Alternative variations of the name Phillips

Phillips, Phillip, Philips, Philip, Philps

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Delve deeper into the Phillips family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1383North West 1279Isle of Man 33Yorkshire 2312East Midlands 749West Midlands 3161East 2662London 11106South East 4614South West 10857South Wales 3327Mid Wales 2928West Wales 143North Wales 672Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Phillipses lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

98,000 Phillips Travel & migration records
560,000 Phillipses found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Phillips

How common is your surname?

52nd most common surname in the UK

We have for the Phillips surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Phillipses most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Phillipses.

What are the most common Phillips first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Phillips family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Phillipses

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Phillipses in 1921

Dressmaker

2,722

General Servant Domestic

1,382

Domestic Servant

1,360

Laundress

1,350

General Servant

1,144

Common male occupations for Phillipses in 1921

Coal Miner

2,868

Agricultural Labourer

2,224

Farmer

2,122

General Labourer

1,840

Carpenter

1,666

We found over 580,000 family trees with the Phillips surname

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