Name of the Week

 

This once received royal distinction in Ancient Greece 
and the Middle Ages. That association is prevalent again 
thanks to the Royal Wedding in 2011.  

  

Origin:

A Latinised feminisation of Philip, an Anglicised form of the Ancient Greek name Philippos. It was made up of the elements φιλος (philos) "love" and ‘ιππος (hippos) "horse." The Ancient Greeks had four words for "love": phileo refers to a friendly, fond and affectionate form of love, which can also be translated as "like", "approve" or "befriend." The second element of "horse" denotes high status in Ancient Greek nomenclature and is found in many aristocratic names. Horses were an extremely important part of Greek society and were represented frequently art and mythology. They were highly prized and cherished animals: representing wealth, as only the rich could afford to keep them, and were essential for many "upper-class" activities such as hunting, chariot riding or horse racing.

Usage:

The name Philip was borne by two major Christian saints (St Philip the Apostle and St Philip the Evangelist) and several Frankish kings from the 11th to 14th century, which accounts for its popularity in the Middle Ages.  Philip is a prime example of a medieval unisex name. It was quite common for men (estimated to be one of the Top 20 masculine names in the 12th century), but it was also used for several women as well. While Philippa was the official Latin form recorded for these women, they were actually called Philip. Queen Philippa of Hainault is recorded as Phelip, Philippe, and Phillip; while a Nottinghamshire will in 1532 refers to "Fillipe my doughter" [sic]. The frequency of the name's usage can be attested by the many surnames it produced, such as Phelps, Phillips, Phillipson, Philkin, Philcox, Phipps and Philson. Philot, and possibly Philipot, appear to have been a specifically feminine diminutive form of Philip.  Philippa, as a name in its own right, came into use in the 18th century and by 1851 the UK census lists 1,963 women with the name. Pippa is the standard short-form of Philippa, frequently used, which was made famous by Robert Browning's Pippa Passes (1841). The name was moderately popular in Britain through the 70s, 80s and 90s. In 1996, in England and Wales, Philippa ranked #150 (289 births), Phillipa #635 (38 births), Phillippa #802 (28 births) and Philipa #3795 (3 births). The name, in all spellings, has been gradually declining over the preceding decade. By 2010 Philippa had fallen to #394 in England and Wales with 113 births, and spellings Phillipa (11 births), Phillippa (3 births) and Filipa (3 births) also declined.  In Scotland, in 2011, six girls were named Philippa, and one Philipa.  However, the short-form Pippa has in recent years, like so many other diminutive names, risen steeply from #874 (25 births) in 1997 to #365 (124 births) in 2010. When the 2011 statistics are released in August, it is expected that both Philippa and Pippa will have seen an increase in usage.

Famous Bearers:

History: * St Philippa (d.220) was martyred alongside her son St Theodore.  * There are three women named Philippa who have been beatified: Blessed Philippa Mareri (1200 — 1236), Blessed Philippa de Chantemilan (1412 — 1451) and Blessed Philippa of Gheldre (1462 — 1547).   * Philippa Roet (c.1346 — c.1387) was the wife of Geoffrey Chaucer and sister of Katherine Swynford. Her father was a knight of Hainault who accompanied Queen Philippa to England.  * Philippa Fawcett (1868 — 1948) was a  British mathematician and first woman to obtain the top score in the Cambridge Mathematical Tripos exams. * Philippa Foot (1920 — 2010) was a British philosopher; one of the founders of virtue ethics. Royalty: * Philippa of Toulouse (c. 1073 — 1118) was Duchess of Aquitaine and Countess of Toulouse. * Philippa of Hainault (1314 — 1369) was queen consort of Edward III.  * Philippa of Clarence (1355 — 1382) was the granddaughter of Edward III and heir presumptive of her cousin Richard II.  * Philippa of Lancaster (1359 — 1415) was also a granddaughter of Edward III, and queen consort of Portugal. Contemporary: * Philippa "Pippa" Middleton (b.1983) is the sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.  * Phillipa "Pip" Brown (b.1979) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known as Ladyhawke.  * Philippa Forrester (b.1968) is radio and television presenter, author and producer. * Philippa Gregory (b.1954) is a well known author of historical novels.

Variants:

Phillipa, Phillippa, Philipa (UK), Filipa (Slavic, Polish, Portuguese), Filippa (Italian, Greek, Russian, Swedish), Felipa (Spanish), Philippine (French), Philippina (German)

Pronunciation:

FIL-i-pə (UK) [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Fifi, Lia, Pia, Pippa, Pipi, Polly, Poppy

Sibling Names:

Emmeline      Hermione     Joanna     Victoria     Georgina     Helena  Richard     Anthony     Edward     Timothy     Sebastian     Robert

Name Lists:

Vintage   Upright Elegance   Terrifically Tudor   Royal Names   Names from Jane Austen

 

If you like Philippa you may also like:   Constance, Josephine, Eleanor, Henrietta, Imogen, Cassandra, Arabella, Marianne, Harriet, Charlotte