Philinus

Philinus is a masculine given name of ancient Greek origin. The form is typically understood to derive from the Greek element philos, meaning “loving” or “friendly,” with the suffix -inus that appears in later Greek and Latin name formations. As a result, Philinus has been used in Greek and Hellenistic contexts to denote a person who is beloved or simply as a conventional personal name.

In antiquity, Philinus appears in multiple independent attestations across Greek and Roman sources, though the surviving material is fragmentary. Because ancient texts and inscriptions are often sparse or ambiguous, there is no single consistently identified bearer of the name who stands as a major, widely recognized figure. The name occurs in literary, documentary, and epigraphic contexts, reflecting its moderate usage among Greek-speaking communities and their Roman successors.

In modern times, Philinus is rarely used as a first name. It is primarily of interest to scholars of onomastics, classical philology, and prosopography, who study the occurrence and distribution of ancient names. The form also appears in Latinized transcriptions of Greek names within classical manuscripts and scholarly works.

Variants and related forms include Philo and Philinus in Latin texts, as well as Greek forms such as Philinos. The name is part of a broader pattern of Greek names built on the philos root, which appears in numerous other personal names from antiquity.