Entry № 1923 · Greek origin

Philomela Philomela — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ fih-loh-MEH-lah /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Greek
Meaning
"Lover of song (the nightingale)"
Syllables
4
Rank · US 2025
№ 0
First recorded
Ancient (Greek)

A name that means "lover of song (the nightingale)".

Philomela (Φιλομήλα) combines the Greek philos (loving) and melos (song) — "lover of song." In Greek myth, Philomela was the Athenian princess transformed into a nightingale after her terrible suffering — she became the symbol of poetic voice through grief.

Featured in Ovid's Metamorphoses, Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, and T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land.

Lover of song. The Greek nightingale.

The name in its native script.

Φιλομήλα
Transliteration
Philomḗla
Pronunciation
/ ˌfɪ.loʊˈmeɪ.lə /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Philomela stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 0 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 0 in 0
Babies named Philomela · last year
87 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
0
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · — NOW · —

Philomelas before her.

Real people
Philomela
Greek mythological figure.
In fiction
Philomela
Featured in Ovid's Metamorphoses.
8 CE

Names connected to Philomela.

The number behind Philomela.

5

The Free Spirit

Philomela reduces to five — the number of Greek nightingale.

Why families chose this name.

"The Greek nightingale. Nine letters. Philomela."
Eleni · Mother of one · Athens