Pippa
Say it: PIP-a
GirlMeans usually a short form of Philippa, "lover of horses"5 letters2 syllables
#118
in Ireland (2025)
#120 with spellings combined
39
babies in 2025
#77
best rank (2018)
764
babies since 2004
Down 7
10-year rank change
Pippa through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 39 | #120 |
| 2024 | 43 | #110 |
| 2023 | 41 | #113 |
| 2022 | 49 | #105 |
| 2021 | 62 | #89 |
| 2020 | 56 | #97 |
| 2019 | 48 | #114 |
| 2018 | 82 | #77 |
| 2017 | 66 | #89 |
| 2016 | 54 | #110 |
| 2015 | 56 | #113 |
| 2014 | 32 | #172 |
| 2013 | 31 | #185 |
| 2012 | 33 | #174 |
| 2011 | 26 | #207 |
| 2010 | 13 | #377 |
| 2009 | 7 | #540 |
| 2008 | 10 | #431 |
| 2007 | 4 | #704 |
| 2006 | 5 | #551 |
| 2005 | 3 | #690 |
| 2004 | 4 | #576 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Pippa mean?
Usually a short form of Philippa, "lover of horses"
English short form of Philippa, the feminine of Philip, from Greek words for loving and horse.
Say it right
PIPa
The story of Pippa
Pippa is a short form of Philippa, the feminine of Philip. Philip comes from a Greek name built from words for loving and horse, so it is usually explained as “lover of horses”.
Pippa came into wider use as a name in its own right after Robert Browning published his verse drama Pippa Passes in 1841. Its heroine is an innocent young Italian girl, and her song holds the famous lines “God’s in his heaven, all’s right with the world”. Oddly, Pippa is hardly used as a name in Italy.
In Ireland Pippa first reached the list in 2004. It rose quickly after 2010 and had its best year in 2018, with 82 girls and number 77. It was number 118 on the CSO list in 2025. In Northern Ireland it did best in 2022, when it was 67th.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Pippa (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Pippa (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Pippa | 39 | 764 |
In Northern Ireland
#126 in 2025 with 16 babies. Best rank #67 (2022); 282 babies since 2005.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.