Philemon

/F-Y-EH-L-IY-M-AA-N/

Boy Christian Greek origin EuropeanGreek

A house-church host name from the shortest Pauline letter

See Philemon scored for your family

Meaning & origin

Philemon is a boy's name of Greek origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "A house-church host name from the shortest Pauline letter" and belongs to the Love cluster — names for children loved deeply before they arrive.

Common among European, Greek families, Philemon carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.

Numerology of Philemon

Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Philemon resonates in either tradition.

Pythagorean
11
intuition and inspired leadership (master number)
Chaldean
11
intuition and inspired leadership (master number)

How Philemon sounds

NameRoot scores the phonetic fit of every name against the sound of your last name. The pronunciation of Philemon breaks down into 8 phonemes: /F-Y-EH-L-IY-M-AA-N/. In the app, you'll see how those sounds flow with your family name across rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters.

Nicknames

Common affectionate forms of Philemon — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.

PhiliPhil

The six signals, applied to Philemon

NameRoot scores every name across six independent dimensions. Here's how Philemon maps to each — install the app to see the full compatibility score for your specific family.

01 — Birth Star
Nakshatra match
Enter your baby's birth date in the app and we'll compute the nakshatra compatibility score.
02 — Numerology
Destiny alignment
Pythagorean and Chaldean life-path calculations (destiny 11) matched against your family's own numerology profile.
03 — Phonetics
Last-name fit
Rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters measured with IPA to see how Philemon flows with your family name.
04 — Meaning
Love
Philemon belongs to the Love cluster — names for children loved deeply before they arrive.
05 — Cultural & Tradition
Christian
As a Christian name, Philemon carries religious and cultural weight scored against your family's heritage — plus grandparent-name matches, saint's-day alignment, and generational naming patterns scored against your family tree.
06 — Uniqueness
Popularity balance
How common Philemon is today versus historically — finding the sweet spot between familiar and forgotten.

Names similar to Philemon

If Philemon resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.

From the same tradition

Other Christian boy names, common in European families

Liam
Irish diminutive of William (Uilliam), from Germanic 'wil' (will) + 'helm' (helmet). Global phenomenon.
Noah
Rest, comfort, repose, from Hebrew Noach, linked to the root meaning to rest or bring relief. Borne in scripture by the builder of the ark who outlasted the flood, it has stayed in continuous Western use and now sits among the most-given boys' names worldwide.
Oliver
From Latin olivarius (olive tree cultivator) or from the Frankish Olivier.
George
Farmer, earth worker — the patron saint of England, the name of six kings, and Prince George of Cambridge. England's defining name.

Sharing the same meaning

Other Christian boy names from the Love cluster

Benjamin
Son of the right hand, the favoured child — Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel in Genesis, the child whose birth cost his mother her life and whose name she changed with her dying breath from Ben-Oni, son of my sorrow, to Benjamin, son of fortune. His name carries the ache of a love that survives loss and the fierce protectiveness a family wraps around its youngest
Levi
Joined, attached, united in bond — Levi is the third son of Jacob and Leah, whose birth prompted his mother to declare now my husband will be joined to me
Teddy
Wealthy guardian, divine gift — the affectionate form of Theodore or Edward. Teddy Roosevelt made it tough; teddy bears made it tender.

Names that sound similar

Christian boy names that open with the same syllables as Philemon

Fyodor
Gift of God — the Russian form of Theodore, from Greek Theodoros. Borne by the novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky, author of Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, whose years of Siberian penal exile shaped a profound theological vision, and by the Romantic-era poet Fyodor Tyutchev. A name woven into the spiritual heart of Russian letters.
Freddie
Peaceful ruler — the friendly diminutive of Frederick. Freddie Mercury made it legendary; modern parents made it mainstream again.
Felix
Happy, fortunate, blessed by luck — Felix is the Roman conviction that happiness is not an accident but a state that attaches itself to certain people like sunlight to a south-facing wall. Multiple saints and four popes bore this name, and it carries the warm optimism of Latin culture, the confidence that life tilts toward joy, and the simple, radical claim that this child was born under a lucky star

Common questions about Philemon

What does the name Philemon mean?

Philemon means "A house-church host name from the shortest Pauline letter." It is a boy name of Greek origin, traditionally used in Christian families.

Is Philemon a boy or girl name?

Philemon is most commonly used as a boy name.

What is the origin of the name Philemon?

Philemon is of Greek origin, used in Christian tradition, commonly among European, Greek families.

What are common nicknames for Philemon?

Common short forms of Philemon include Phili, Phil.

What is the numerology of Philemon?

Philemon has a Pythagorean destiny number of 11 — intuition and inspired leadership (master number).

See how Philemon scores for your family

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