Philo

♂ Boy

Pronounced FY-loh /ˈfaɪ.loʊ/Medium

Meaning: From the Greek philos, 'loving; dear; a friend; beloved' (the philosopher Philo of Alexandria)Low

In 30 seconds: Loving; a friend; beloved: Philo is Greek. Crisp, classic, and warm (said 'FY-loh').

Origin LowGreek

MeaningFrom the Greek philos, 'loving; dear; a friend; beloved' (the philosopher Philo of Alexandria)

U.S. rank (2025)#11663 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2018

Total births (all-time)≈ 389

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

Philo comes from the Greek philos, 'loving; dear; a friend; beloved' (the philosopher Philo of Alexandria). A crisp, classic name (said 'FY-loh').

In the U.S. it appears as a vintage revival name. Rare, loving-and-a-friend at the root, and classic.

Did you know? Philo means 'loving; dear; a friend; beloved' in Greek (the philosopher Philo of Alexandria) — crisp and classic (said 'FY-loh').

Overall data confidence 42%

References — Philo — Greek etymology

PhilosFilo

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Milo— a sound-neighbor -lo boys' name

Arlo— a fellow -lo boys' name

Theo— a companion Greek-rooted boys' name

Leo— a kindred short classic boys' name

By themegreek

By meaningLove

What does the name Philo mean?

Philo is Greek for 'loving; dear; a friend; beloved'.

How do you pronounce Philo?

It's said FY-loh /ˈfaɪ.loʊ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Philo a boy or girl name?

Philo is a boy's name.

How popular is Philo?

Philo is a very rare name in the U.S.