Philippa

Once upon a time, two saints were martyred in the year 220. One of them was St. Philippa.

Philippa is the English feminization of classic Philip derived from the Ancient Greek "philippos", meaning "lover of horses." Despite the name's meaning, the many Philippas over the years did not study horses. Instead, the name has been worn by saints, royals, and famous women with other occupations. 

The early St. Philippa was one saintly namesake, along with three Blessed Philippas. However, it took a queen, not a saint, to increase the name's English-speaking usage. In the fourteenth century, Philippa of Hainault married King Edward III and became Queen of England. Afterward, more English royals and nobility adopted the name. 

Philippa may have a long history, but it wasn't initially used as full. As with many feminized names, it was only written in records. Girls with the name answered to Philip. 

Philippa entered use as a full name in the eighteenth century. It briefly ranked among the English top 200 names in 1840 and 1850. However, Philippa was not used at all before 1910 in the United States. Perhaps it never even made the top 1000 even though usage has increased over time. 

Philippa was mostly used in England throughout its long history. However, because of its several saintly and royal associations, it's not hard to argue Philippa's classic status. It fits in with feminizations of male names such as Josephine and Victoria. The name also has several international variants, such as Greek and Italian Filippa and German Philippina. Modern associations such as Philippa "Pippa" Middleton remind us that the name is still in use as well. 

NICKNAMES:

Pippi

STYLES:

English, Formal

SISTERS:

Augusta, Genevieve, Theodora, Emmeline, Ottilie, Beatrice, Rosamond, Minerva 

BROTHERS:

Nigel, Benedict, Percival, Edmund, Horatio, Rupert, Ivor, Thaddeus

ALTERNATIVES:

Frederica, Ottoline, Parthenia, Perdita, Petronilla, Petula, Phyllida, Thomasina

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Philippa." Names, Behind the Name, 25 Apr. 2021, https://www.behindthename.com/name/philippa. 

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Philippa." Names of the Week, British Baby Names, 20 May. 2012, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2012/05/philippa.html. 

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