Phoebe

Spellings & scripts●

Locally spelled Phebe in BE Belgium, IN India and Φοιβη in CY Cyprus.

Spellings marked ● are how people bearing the name write it in our records; ○ marks a model's transliteration. Click a spelling to open its page.

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 14 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Phoebe is also recorded as 5 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Spanish given name21K records spelled Phoebe7 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in France, Philippines, United States, United Kingdom

  Languages: Spanish, French, Portuguese

  Also written Phoebé, Phöebe

• a separate given name4.0K records spelled Phoebe2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy

  Also written Phoebé

• Indonesian given name2.6K records spelled Phoebe3 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, United States

  Languages: Indonesian, Malay

  Also written Phoebè

• Polish given name1.4K records spelled Phoebe11 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Poland, United States, Czechia, United Kingdom

  Languages: Polish, Czech, Russian

  Also written Фиби, Fibi, Фібі

• Hungarian given name208 records spelled Phoebe2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Hungary, United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong

  Also written Phöébè

54 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Phoebe is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• The name Phoebe is the Latin form of the Greek name Φοίβη (Phoibē), which means "bright," "radiant," or "pure." In Greek mythology, it was an epithet for the Titan goddess of the moon, Artemis.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• Phoebe is a significant figure in Christianity, exemplifying female leadership, service, and patronage in the early church. She is often cited in theological discussions regarding the ordination of women and their roles in ministry, as Paul's commendation identifies her as a deacon and a key supporter of the apostolic mission.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• Pronounced ‘fee-bee’: Latin form of the name of a Greek deity, Phoibé (from phoibos ‘bright’), partly identified with Artemis, goddess of the moon and of hunting, sister of the sun god Apollo, who was also known as Phoibos (Latin Phoebus).

  as a name·A concise dictionary of first names

• In English, Any of several birds of the genus Sayornis.

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In English, Titaness in Greek myth; songbird;

  as a name·Pronouncing Dictionary of Proper Names

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

US SSA — National Baby Names (1880–present) — 146 years between 1880–2025. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Hertha Ayrtonb. 1854GBnot in their usual nameEnglish electrical engineer (1854–1923)
• Phoebe Ephronb. 1914USAmerican screenwriter and dramatist (1914-1971)
• Phoebe Nichollsb. 1957GBEnglish actress
• Phoebe Catesb. 1963USAmerican actress, model, and entrepreneur
• Phoebe Waller-Bridgeb. 1985GBEnglish actress, screenwriter and producer (born 1985)
• Phoebe Foxb. 1987GBBritish actress
• Phoebe Tonkinb. 1989AUAustralian actress
• Phoebe Ryanb. 1990USAmerican singer and songwriter
• Phoebe Bridgersb. 1994USAmerican musician (born 1994)
• Phoebe Dynevorb. 1995GBEnglish actress

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 729 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Phoebe?

We estimate roughly 30 thousand people bear Phoebe (counting its spellings and scripts) across 7 countries in our records.

In which country does Phoebe have the most bearers?

Phoebe is most frequently recorded in Australia, where it is most often spelled phoebe.

How common is Phoebe compared with other names?

In Australia, Phoebe is the 404th most common given name of 197,734 given names recorded there.

Is Phoebe a male or female name?

Phoebe is a female name in our records. Opposite-gender entries fall within the cross-gender noise we measure in the source data, so we don't report them as usage.

What does the name Phoebe mean?

Recorded meaning: The name Phoebe is of Greek origin and means "radiant, shining one."