Phillips
A very common surname from the given name Philip, originally meaning “Philip’s son.”
The #52 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 856 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Phillips is a patronymic surname built from the personal name Philip, with the added English possessive or family-form ending -s. Philip ultimately comes from Greek Philippos, meaning “lover of horses,” from philos “loving” and hippos “horse.” In English use, Phillips came to mean “son of Philip” or more broadly “belonging to Philip.”
History
The name was established in medieval England and later became especially common in Britain and its colonies. Historical surname dictionaries treat Phillips as a straightforward variant of Philip and note related forms such as Phillipps, Philp, Philpott, and Phipps. By the 19th century it was already a frequent surname in London directories and later became one of the most common surnames in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The root name Philip is anciently Greek rather than English, and it literally has to do with horses rather than religion or “filial” descent.
From the historical record
“PHILLIPPS PHILLIPS ■> \ V. Philip. PHILIPSON I Philip's Son phillipson;*^"'"^^*™ j PHILKIN, a dim. of Philip (q.v.) + the E. dim. suff. -kin. , PHILLIMORE, V. Fillmore. PHILLIS, for the French F4lice, Lat. Felicia”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)