Phoebe Name Meaning & Origin
Phoebe
Origin of the name Phoebe:
Feminine form of the Greek Phoibos (bright one), which is derived from phoibos (bright). Phoebe is found in Greek mythology as a name for Artemis, the goddess of the moon. In poetry, Phoebe is the moon personified.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.
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US Popularity of Phoebe Over Time

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Name Lists Featuring Phoebe
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (New South Wales) 2014
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Victoria) 2014
- New Zealand Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in New Zealand 2014
- English and Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England and Wales (2013)
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Northern Ireland 2014
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Victoria), 2010
- New Zealand Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in New Zealand, 2010
- English Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England, 2010
- Scottish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Scotland, 2011
- English and Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England and Wales
- English Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England 2015
- Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Wales
- Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Wales
- Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Wales
- Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Wales
- Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Wales
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Northern Ireland for 2012
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (New South Wales) for 2012
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Victoria) for 2012
- New Zealand Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in New Zealand for 2012
- Scottish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Scotland
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (New South Wales)
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Victoria)
- New Zealand Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in New Zealand
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Western)
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Queensland)
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- Nicknames for Phoebe
Fi (pronunciated "Fee")
Fifi
Phoebs/Pheebs
Bee
Pheob/Feeb
Beebee
Fibby
Phobee
Phobo
Fiji
Phobe
Phobia
Phë (fee)- Meanings and history of the name Phoebe
Beyond its literal Greek meaning ("Brightness" "shining"), she was a Titan in Greek mythology. There is a bird genus Sayornis, commonly called phoebes (Eastern Phoebe, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe are the species). So it can be considered an ornithological name like Wren, Robin, Lark, etc., too.
Phoebe is also another name for the Greek goddess Artemis, in her aspect as the moon goddess.
Phoebe in Hebrew is pure.
Saint Phoebe (1st century) was a deaconess of the Church at Cenchreae, the port of Corinth. She was recommended to the Christian congregation at Rome by St. Paul, who praised her for her assistance to him and to many others. She brought Paul's epistle to the Romans to Rome with her. Her feast day is September 3rd. First female ordained deacon mentioned in the Bible.
- Famous real-life people named Phoebe
Phoebe Ann Moses(stage name Annie Oakley) - American sharpshooter
Phoebe Belle Cates - American actress
Phoebe Snow - American singer-songwriter
Phoebe Tonkin - Australian actress
Phoebe Mills - American athlete
Phoebe Adele (b. 2002) - daughter of American businessman Bill Gates
Phoebe Pearl (b. 2007) - daughter of American writer Jennifer Weiner
Phoebe Margaret Cake (b. 2009), daughter of American actress Julianne Nicholson and English actor Jonathan Cake
Phoebe Sylvia Rachel (b. 2011) - daughter of American actor Jim True-Frost- Phoebe in song, story & screen
Phoebe Thunderman from the Nickelodeon TV show "The Thundermans"
Phoebe B. Beebe, a boat in the Beany & Cecil comics
Phoebe Buffay, character on TV show "Friends," played by Lisa Kudrow
Phoebe is the maid/companion/best friend of the heroine Rose Campbell in the books "Eight Cousins" and "Rose in Bloom" by Louisa May Alcott.Phoebe Halliwell, third oldest of her and her sisters from the TV series "Charmed," played by Alyssa Milano. Has two older biological sisters, Prudence "Prue" Halliwell, the oldest, and Piper Halliwell, the second oldest, and a younger biological half-sister, Paige Matthews (given up for adoption).
Phoebe is one of Ms. Frizzle's students in the animated series "The Magic School Bus"
Phoebe is Holden Caulfield's little sister in "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger.
Phoebe Heyerdahl from "Hey Arnold!"
Phoebe is a character in "As You Like It" by William Shakespeare.
Phoebe Meryll is a character in "The Yeomen of the Guard" by Gilbert and Sullivan.
"Phoebe in Wonderland," 2008 movie
Phoebe is one of the Hunters of Artemis in "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," written by Rick Riodan
Phoebe, one of the Stepford Cuckoos in the X-Men comics