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Phoebe

Girl name · 1,604 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Phoebe: 1,604 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 88 births in 2023.

Phoebe comes from the Greek *Phoibe*, meaning "bright" or "radiant," and in mythology it was an epithet of the Titan goddess Artemis, linked to the moon. The name appears in the New Testament as a deaconess mentioned by St Paul, making it an early Christian choice as well. Its most famous bearers include the comic actor Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creator of *Fleabag*, and the singer Phoebe Bridgers, though the name also has a strong literary presence through Phoebe Caulfield in J.D. Salinger's *The Catcher in the Rye*. The name shares its root with the moon of Saturn, Phoebe, discovered in 1898. A charming variant is Phebe, an older spelling that was once common in Scotland.

Girl 38 of 52 years

Peak year
202388 babies
Latest (2025)
#4787 babies
Total births
1,604since 1987
5-year trend
▲ 23%vs prior 5y
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2023 · 88
Births per year in Scotland. Missing years had a count of 2 or fewer (suppressed by NRS).