Fun Facts About the Name Phineas
- More than 2 thousand babies named Phineas: U.S. records list 2,800 babies given the name Phineas from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Phineas Mean?
Phineas is an English masculine name derived from the biblical Hebrew name Pinchas (פִּינְחָס). The meaning of the Hebrew name is uncertain. The most widely proposed explanation is that it comes from Egyptian pꜣ-nḥsy, meaning "the Nubian" or "the dark-skinned one," a derivation that fits the early Israelite setting in Egypt. A traditional Hebrew explanation connects the name with peh (mouth) and naḥash (serpent), giving "mouth of the serpent," but the Hebrew letters do not match exactly, so this is often treated as a folk etymology. Older sources sometimes gloss the name as "mouth of brass," another uncertain wordplay rather than a secure literal meaning. Because the derivation is not settled, the safest statement is that the name's meaning is uncertain, with "Nubian" or "dark-skinned" as the leading scholarly suggestion.
Phineas Name History & Origins
The Hebrew name Pinchas appears in the Hebrew Bible. The best-known bearer is Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron. In Numbers 25, he kills an Israelite man and a Midianite woman who had joined in worship of Baal of Peor; the act ends a plague, and God grants him a covenant of peace and a lasting priesthood. Psalm 106:30 - 31 remembers this act as being counted to him as righteousness. A later Phinehas, son of the priest Eli, appears in 1 Samuel as a corrupt priest who dies in battle with the Philistines. These biblical figures gave the name a place in Jewish priestly tradition.
From Hebrew, the name passed into Greek as Phinees (Φινεές) in the Septuagint and into Latin as Phinees. English Bible translations of the 16th and 17th centuries often rendered the name Phinehas. The spelling Phineas is an English variant that became established as a general given name. In modern Hebrew, the name remains Pinchas, and it is still used in Jewish communities.
In English-speaking countries, Phineas has appeared as a literary and public name. Anthony Trollope used it for the title character of Phineas Finn (1867 - 1869) and its sequel. The American showman P. T. Barnum was named Phineas Taylor Barnum. Later fictional uses include Phineas in John Knowles's A Separate Peace and Phineas Flynn in the animated series Phineas and Ferb. These uses are later associations, not the origin of the name.
How Popular is the Name Phineas?
Phineas has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2016. Its best rank was #1,030 in 1880.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,616 | 105 | 0.0061% |
| 2024 | #1,538 | 114 | 0.0066% |
| 2023 | #1,715 | 98 | 0.0057% |
| 2022 | #1,619 | 108 | 0.0062% |
| 2021 | #1,403 | 131 | 0.0075% |
| 2020 | #1,432 | 121 | 0.0070% |
| 2019 | #1,475 | 117 | 0.0065% |
| 2018 | #1,332 | 136 | 0.0075% |
| 2017 | #1,376 | 129 | 0.0070% |
| 2016 | #1,284 | 142 | 0.0075% |
| 2015 | #1,664 | 95 | 0.0050% |
| 2014 | #1,522 | 106 | 0.0055% |
| 2013 | #1,584 | 98 | 0.0052% |
| 2012 | #1,533 | 105 | 0.0055% |
| 2011 | #1,393 | 120 | 0.0063% |
| 2010 | #1,248 | 141 | 0.0073% |
| 2009 | #1,337 | 130 | 0.0066% |
| 2008 | #1,430 | 117 | 0.0057% |
| 2007 | #1,718 | 88 | 0.0042% |
| 2006 | #2,030 | 66 | 0.0032% |
| 2005 | #2,600 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 2004 | #2,679 | 40 | 0.0020% |
| 2003 | #2,609 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 2002 | #3,241 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 2001 | #3,204 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 2000 | #3,204 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1999 | #4,960 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #4,149 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1997 | #5,563 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #6,950 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #7,584 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #8,537 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #6,536 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #9,241 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1989 | #6,073 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #8,198 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #5,036 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #3,805 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1982 | #7,099 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #7,012 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #7,017 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #4,309 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #4,513 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #4,829 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #5,467 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #3,178 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #3,571 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #3,929 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #4,509 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1958 | #3,495 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #4,257 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1953 | #3,700 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #4,069 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #4,084 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #4,141 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1940 | #3,822 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1938 | #3,917 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #4,094 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1933 | #3,549 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #4,156 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1930 | #3,227 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1926 | #3,314 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1925 | #4,740 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #3,735 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1922 | #3,787 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1920 | #4,169 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1919 | #4,653 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1918 | #3,046 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1917 | #2,687 | 10 | 0.0011% |
| 1916 | #2,883 | 9 | 0.0010% |
| 1915 | #4,265 | 5 | 0.0006% |
| 1897 | #1,191 | 5 | 0.0044% |
| 1891 | #1,092 | 5 | 0.0049% |
| 1880 | #1,030 | 5 | 0.0045% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Phineas
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with P
How the Name Phineas Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Phineas's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Phineas's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.