Meanings
- A female given name from Ancient Greek.
Jennifer, Alison, Philippa, Sue / Deborah, Annabel, too, I wrote this song for you
1989, Paul Heaton, Dave Rotheray, “Song for Whoever”, performed by The Beautiful South2 more examples
"You detest every thing insincere, I know, charming Philippa — pardon me, your beautiful name betrays me constantly. Is it not — like your voice — stolen from poetry or music?"
1854, John Esten Cooke, The Youth of Jefferson, Redfield, published 1854, page 22They had an expensive, well-cut air which was like a uniform, and their conversation was all about people with names like Terence and Geoffrey, Philippa and Vivien, who lived in London and County Wicklow and who were "terribly amusing".
1963, Jane McIlvaine, Cammie's Cousin, Bobbs-Merrill, page 58
Origin
A Latinate feminine form of Philip, recorded in medieval England, but originally pronounced like the masculine form.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Danish Filippa
- Filippafemale given name
Finnish Hilppa
- Hilppafemale given name
French Philippa
- Philippafemale given name
Portuguese Filipa
- Filipafemale given name
Swedish Filippa
- Filippafemale given name
Cite this entry
Philippa. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Philippa
“Philippa.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Philippa. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Philippa,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Philippa.
Source: Philippa on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.