Home › Baby Names Directory › Phylliss

Phylliss

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Phylliss

Pronounced FIL-is /ˈfɪlɪs/High

Meaning: Phylliss is an extended spelling of Phyllis, which comes from the Greek word phyllon, 'leaf' or 'foliage'. In Greek myth Phyllis was a Thracian princess who, in grief, was transformed into an almond tree, tying the name to greenery and renewal. The extra letters in Phylliss are an American respelling rather than a separate name, keeping the leafy Greek meaning intact.Medium

In 30 seconds: Phylliss is a spelling variant of Phyllis, from a Greek word for 'green leaf', quietly used for American girls last century and said FIL-is.

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumGreek

MeaningPhylliss is an extended spelling of Phyllis, which comes from the Greek word phyllon, 'leaf' or 'foliage'. In Greek myth Phyllis was a Thracian princess who, in grief, was transformed into an almond tree, tying the name to greenery and renewal. The extra letters in Phylliss are an American respelling rather than a separate name, keeping the leafy Greek meaning intact.

U.S. rank (1970)#7732 ↘ Falling

1970 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1950

Total births (all-time)≈ 597

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Phylliss is a doubled-consonant respelling of Phyllis, a name drawn from the Greek phyllon, 'foliage', and carried by a tragic figure of ancient myth. Phyllis enjoyed real popularity in the early twentieth century, and the Phylliss variant rode alongside it as one of many personal spellings.

This spelling never gathered much of a following of its own, reaching only a couple dozen girls a year at most around the middle of the century. A Phylliss born then would be a grandmother today, and the name carries the soft, leafy, faintly classical air of its more common parent.

Did you know? The root of Phyllis, the Greek word for a leaf, is the same one behind botanical terms like chlorophyll, the green pigment in leaves.

Overall data confidence 60%

References - Phylliss — Variant of Phyllis; Greek phyllon 'leaf'

Variations

PhyllisPhillisFilisPhylis

Nicknames

PhylFilly

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Phylliss…

Phyllis— the standard spelling Phylliss varies

Doris— another Greek-rooted girl's name of the era

Gloria— a similar early-century girl's name

Lorena— a like vintage girl's name from the same decades

Explore names like Phylliss

By themevintage greek variant nature

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Phylliss mean?

It is a variant of Phyllis, from the Greek word for 'foliage' or 'green leaf'.

How do you pronounce Phylliss?

It is said FIL-is, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Phylliss a boy or girl name?

Phylliss is used as a girl's name.

Is Phylliss a popular name?

No, Phylliss was always rare, an uncommon spelling of Phyllis that saw only light use in the early and middle twentieth century.