Philomena
Girl name · #1912 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Philomena? In official American birth records, Philomena has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Philomena ranks #1912 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 101 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2351, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 17,822 girls born in 2025 was named Philomena.
Babies named Philomena per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Philomena first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 10 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1922, when 308 girls were named Philomena — good for #371 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Philomena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Philomena in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Philomena is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Philomena will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Philomena is most common
State-level data for Philomena is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Philomena
Statistically, parents drawn to Philomena tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Georgiana, Wilhelmina, Verena, Filomena, and Faustina.
GeorgianaWilhelminaVerenaFilomenaFaustinaLaviniaNovellaLeonora
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Philomena | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 101 | #1911 |
| 2024 | 111 | #1810 |
| 2023 | 80 | #2288 |
| 2022 | 83 | #2253 |
| 2021 | 77 | #2345 |
| 2020 | 86 | #2115 |
| 2019 | 92 | #2056 |
| 2018 | 87 | #2159 |
| 2017 | 92 | #2097 |
| 2016 | 93 | #2093 |
| 2015 | 78 | #2351 |
| 2014 | 67 | #2615 |
| 2013 | 43 | #3573 |
| 2012 | 41 | #3782 |
| 2011 | 41 | #3723 |
| 2010 | 31 | #4608 |
| 2009 | 19 | #6811 |
| 2008 | 24 | #5750 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4475 |
| 2006 | 25 | #5383 |
| 2005 | 23 | #5437 |
| 2004 | 27 | #4816 |
| 2003 | 18 | #6299 |
| 2002 | 17 | #6392 |
| 2001 | 15 | #6956 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Philomena?
In official American birth records, the name Philomena first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 10 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Philomena a popular girl name?
Philomena ranked #1912 among girls in 2025 with 101 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2351.
When was the name Philomena most popular?
Philomena peaked in 1922, when 308 American girls received the name (ranked #371 that year). Since 1922 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Philomena?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 17,822 newborn American girls was named Philomena. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.