Filip — Name Day, Meaning & Origin

Male Polish given name · rank 11 among male names (2024)

A classic Polish male name of Greek origin, meaning "lover of horses".

Pronunciation

/ˈfi.lip/ · FEE-leep

Meaning

Filip is the Polish form of the Greek name Philippos, composed of elements meaning "lover" and "horse". Together it reads as "lover of horses" or "fond of horses".

Origin & history

The name is of ancient pedigree — it was borne by the Macedonian king Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, and in Christian tradition by one of the twelve apostles. It entered Poland with Christianity and was used as early as the Middle Ages, recently undergoing a marked return to fashion.

Etymology

Composed of the Greek elements phílos — "lover, friend" and híppos — "horse". The name thus originally carried an aristocratic, equestrian connotation.

Declension (Polish cases)

Nominative	Filip
Genitive	Filipa
Dative	Filipowi
Accusative	Filipa
Instrumental	Filipem
Locative	Filipie
Vocative	Filipie

Name day (imieniny)

In Poland, Filip celebrates its name day on 26 May, 23 August, 11 April, 22 October.

Diminutives

Filipek, Fil, Filuś, Filo, Filcio.

Forms in other languages

Equivalents in other languages include Philip and Phillip (English), Philipp (German), Philippe (French), Filippo (Italian), Felipe (Spanish) and Pylyp (Ukrainian).

Notable people named Filip

Filip Apostoł — One of the twelve apostles of Jesus and an early Christian saint.

Filip II Macedoński — Fourth-century BC king of Macedon and father of Alexander the Great.

Filip Chajzer — Polish journalist and television personality.

Popularity

Filip has for over a decade stayed near the top of the most popular boys' names in Poland.