Phoebe: meaning and UK use

What does Phoebe mean?

Phoebe is the Latinised form of Greek Phoibe, connected with phoibos. Phebe is another recorded English spelling.

Language or name family covered

Greek, via Latin

Meaning or derivation

Bright or pure

Our browsing group

girl; classic, vintage

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Phoebe

Pronunciation and related forms

FEE-bee (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

Related forms recorded in the reference: Phebe. These may be full forms, diminutives or forms in another language; they are not necessarily pronounced alike or counted together in statistics.

How popular is Phoebe?

In 2025, 1,542 baby girls in England and Wales were registered as Phoebe, making it the 14th most popular girls’ name. That is up 3 places on 2024, when it ranked 17th. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 22nd, so it has climbed 8 places in a decade. 2025 is its highest ranking in the ONS series, which starts in 1996. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (girls)

14th

2025 registrations

1,542

Best rank in this series

14th (2025)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Phoebe: rank and number of baby girls by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	14	1,542
2024	17	1,549
2023	20	1,510
2022	24	1,531
2021	22	1,678
2020	25	1,543
2019	22	1,753
2018	21	1,883
2017	21	2,000
2016	24	1,975
2015	22	2,081
2014	22	2,099
2013	24	1,992
2012	28	1,825
2011	24	2,008
2010	28	2,027
2009	23	2,074
2008	26	2,116
2007	31	1,769
2006	32	1,634
2005	36	1,569
2004	43	1,290
2003	44	1,182
2002	40	1,160
2001	40	1,256
2000	38	1,319
1999	38	1,431
1998	43	1,371
1997	54	1,071
1996	65	910

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 girls series is 49,148. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Phoebe

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Beatriceclassic, vintage · A form of Beatrix
• Claravintage, classic · Clear, bright or famous
• Evelynvintage, classic · From the given name Aveline
• Florencevintage, classic · Prosperous or flourishing
• Matildavintage, classic · Strength in battle
• Penelopevintage, classic · Meaning uncertain

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Phoebe, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.