History of your Surname
Get access to Philips family records.Start a free trial

Philips Family History

Philips Name Meaning

English Scottish North German Dutch and Jewish (Ashkenazic): patronymic from the personal name Philip . In North America this surname has also absorbed cognates from other languages for example Italian Filippi Polish Filipowicz and Slovenian Filipič (see Filip ). Compare Phillips .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Philipps, Phillips, Philip, Philipp, Phillipps, Phillipp, Shilts

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Philips family from?

You can see how Philips families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Philips family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Philips families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 371 Philips families living in New York. This was about 17% of all the recorded Philips's in USA. New York had the highest population of Philips families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Philips surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Philips ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Philips. 20% of Philips men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Philips women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Philips were Farming and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Philips | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    20%
  • Farmer
    18%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Farming
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    7%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Philips family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 305,000 census records available for the last name Philips. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Philips census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Philips

Passenger Lists

There are 18,000 immigration records available for the last name Philips. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Philips immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Philips. For the veterans among your Philips ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Philips military records

You've only scratched the surface of Philips family history

Discover More

What is the average Philips lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Philips life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Philips in 1942 was 50, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Philips

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Philips family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Philips last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial