Phoebe Name Meaning & Origin
Phoebe
Origin of the name Phoebe:
Feminine form of the Greek Phoibos (bright one), which is derived from phoibos (bright). Phoebe is found in Greek mythology as a name for Artemis, the goddess of the moon. In poetry, Phoebe is the moon personified.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.
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US Popularity of Phoebe Over Time

Sister & Brother Names
Know a Phoebe? What are her siblings named?
Name Lists Featuring Phoebe
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (New South Wales) 2014
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Victoria) 2014
- New Zealand Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in New Zealand 2014
- English and Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England and Wales (2013)
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Northern Ireland 2014
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Victoria), 2010
- New Zealand Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in New Zealand, 2010
- English Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England, 2010
- Scottish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Scotland, 2011
- English and Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England and Wales
- English Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England 2015
- Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Wales
- Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Wales
- Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Wales
- Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Wales
- Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Wales
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Northern Ireland for 2012
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (New South Wales) for 2012
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Victoria) for 2012
- New Zealand Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in New Zealand for 2012
- Scottish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Scotland
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (New South Wales)
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Victoria)
- New Zealand Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in New Zealand
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Western)
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Queensland)
Contribute your knowledge to the name Phoebe
- Comments and insights on the name Phoebe
In Canada, it is a unique name w/out being so outlandish no one ever heard it before. Great reception to it.
Why does it have the letter "O" in it? Why isn't it just spelled "Phebe" "or "Phebie"? Just curious.
- Personal experiences with the name Phoebe
In 2007 my brother and his wife named their first daughter Phoebe Hannah.
DD named Phoebe. People think its spelling is difficult, but DD could spell it before she started school. She loves her name.
My name is Phoebe. I am 34, & I have never met another Phoebe my age. I hated it growing up, and got all the nicknames listed below. But it grew on me as an adult, and now I love it. It is truly mine, and perfectly unique. My middle name is Veronica, and I like that too. Thanks to my parents for a beautiful and rare name!
My little sisters name is Phoebe. She is six and really cute! Her full name is Phoebe Amelia, and my name is Hannah Rose. The name only began to grow in popularity when she was born (2005) so we know a lot of younger kids named Phoebe. We were the trend setters!
My name is Phoebe Rae, and I'm in my teens, I've always loved it, and although it may annoy other Phoebe's out there, I love the references to the show friends :)
My oldest daughter is Phoebe Marie. She loves her name and so do most of her friends. Haven't had any bad experiences with this name and hoping to keep it that way. :)
My name is Phoebe, but I'm mostly called Phoebz. I used to spell it Phoebs, but then I went to sleepaway camp and there was a councelor named Meebz. I decided that Z is cooler than S, and now I'm Phoebz. I love my name.
My name is Phoebe Amber and I have always loved my name. It's unique but not so much so that every substitute teacher mispronounces it (only some hahah. If I'm honest, I know a lot of people who would hate having the nicknames I have or as many nicknames as I have but I love it. It makes for an interesting day and an interesting life :). I'm only 14 so i have a long way to go with my name but I've always looked forward to my life and having the name Phoebe makes it better. :)))))
My last name is Beebe. A friend suggested I name my daughter Phoebe (she would be Phoebe Beebe) but that sounded too silly. I named my daughter good ol' steady JENNIFER.
In the 50's there was a comic called "Beany and Cecil the Sea Serpent." The boat Beany sailed the seas in was christened "Phoebe B. Beebe."
- Nicknames for Phoebe
Fi (pronunciated "Fee")
Fifi
Phoebs/Pheebs
Bee
Pheob/Feeb
Beebee
Fibby
Phobee
Phobo
Fiji
Phobe
Phobia
Phë (fee)- Meanings and history of the name Phoebe
Beyond its literal Greek meaning ("Brightness" "shining"), she was a Titan in Greek mythology. There is a bird genus Sayornis, commonly called phoebes (Eastern Phoebe, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe are the species). So it can be considered an ornithological name like Wren, Robin, Lark, etc., too.
Phoebe is also another name for the Greek goddess Artemis, in her aspect as the moon goddess.
Phoebe in Hebrew is pure.
Saint Phoebe (1st century) was a deaconess of the Church at Cenchreae, the port of Corinth. She was recommended to the Christian congregation at Rome by St. Paul, who praised her for her assistance to him and to many others. She brought Paul's epistle to the Romans to Rome with her. Her feast day is September 3rd. First female ordained deacon mentioned in the Bible.
- Famous real-life people named Phoebe
Phoebe Ann Moses(stage name Annie Oakley) - American sharpshooter
Phoebe Belle Cates - American actress
Phoebe Snow - American singer-songwriter
Phoebe Tonkin - Australian actress
Phoebe Mills - American athlete
Phoebe Adele (b. 2002) - daughter of American businessman Bill Gates
Phoebe Pearl (b. 2007) - daughter of American writer Jennifer Weiner
Phoebe Margaret Cake (b. 2009), daughter of American actress Julianne Nicholson and English actor Jonathan Cake
Phoebe Sylvia Rachel (b. 2011) - daughter of American actor Jim True-Frost- Phoebe in song, story & screen
Phoebe Thunderman from the Nickelodeon TV show "The Thundermans"
Phoebe B. Beebe, a boat in the Beany & Cecil comics
Phoebe Buffay, character on TV show "Friends," played by Lisa Kudrow
Phoebe is the maid/companion/best friend of the heroine Rose Campbell in the books "Eight Cousins" and "Rose in Bloom" by Louisa May Alcott.Phoebe Halliwell, third oldest of her and her sisters from the TV series "Charmed," played by Alyssa Milano. Has two older biological sisters, Prudence "Prue" Halliwell, the oldest, and Piper Halliwell, the second oldest, and a younger biological half-sister, Paige Matthews (given up for adoption).
Phoebe is one of Ms. Frizzle's students in the animated series "The Magic School Bus"
Phoebe is Holden Caulfield's little sister in "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger.
Phoebe Heyerdahl from "Hey Arnold!"
Phoebe is a character in "As You Like It" by William Shakespeare.
Phoebe Meryll is a character in "The Yeomen of the Guard" by Gilbert and Sullivan.
"Phoebe in Wonderland," 2008 movie
Phoebe is one of the Hunters of Artemis in "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," written by Rick Riodan
Phoebe, one of the Stepford Cuckoos in the X-Men comics