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Phillips Family History

Phillips Surname Meaning

English Dutch North German and Jewish (western Ashkenazic): patronymic from the personal name Philip.

In North America this surname has also absorbed cognates from other languages (see Philips).

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Phillips family from?

You can see how Phillips families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Phillips family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Phillips families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 555 Phillips families living in New York. This was about 20% of all the recorded Phillips's in USA. New York had the highest population of Phillips families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Phillips surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Phillips ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Phillips. 15% of Phillips men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Phillips women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Phillips were Truck Driver and Teacher.

View Census Data for Phillips | 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
    15%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    7%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Teacher
    5%

What Phillips family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2 million census records available for the last name Phillips. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Phillips census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Phillips

Passenger Lists

There are 232,000 immigration records available for the last name Phillips. 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 Phillips immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 373,000 military records available for the last name Phillips. For the veterans among your Phillips ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Phillips military records

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