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Theme
Feminine

Phoebe

/ˈfi.bi/

Bright, shining

Greek

How to say it

PHOE · be

/ˈfi.bi/

What it means

Greek Phoibē, 'bright' or 'shining,' related to phoibos ('pure, radiant'). A Titaness in Greek mythology, grandmother of Apollo and Artemis. Also a New Testament figure named in Romans 16.

Phoebe comes from the Greek Phoibē (from phoibos, 'bright, pure, radiant'). In Greek mythology Phoebe was a Titaness associated with the moon, grandmother of Apollo (the sun) and Artemis (the moon). In the New Testament (Romans 16:1), Phoebe is a deaconess Paul names with notable respect. The name was popular among 19th-century English-speaking Protestants and dropped through the mid-20th century; Friends (Lisa Kudrow's Phoebe Buffay, 1994-2004) brought it back into broader US use. It entered the US top 200 in 2017.

Popularity over time

#10 #100 #1000 #1 #150418802025

peaked at #157 in 2025, currently #157 in 2025.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving

Heads-up notes

  • Pronunciation

    FEE-bee, two syllables. The PH is pronounced as F; the OE is a single E sound.

  • Pop culture

    Friends' Phoebe Buffay is the dominant English-language anchor for parents under fifty.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

  • Phoebe (Bible) Deaconess of Cenchreae, named with respect in Paul's letter to the Romans
  • Phoebe Buffay Lisa Kudrow's character in Friends, the eccentric folk-singer roommate
  • Phoebe Waller-Bridge British writer-actress, Fleabag and Killing Eve

Spelling variants

  • Phebe
  • Phoibe