Philippus

Philippus is the Latin form of the given name Philip, derived from the Greek Philippos, meaning “lover of horses” or “friend of horses.” In Latin texts, Philippus was used to Latinize individuals named Philip and to serve as a formal ecclesiastical or scholarly given name in medieval and early modern manuscripts. The form has given rise to many modern variants in different languages, including Philip in English, Filippo in Italian, Philippe in French, Felipe in Spanish and Portuguese, and Filip in several Slavic languages.

Historically, Philippus appears in Christian and secular Latin sources. Saint Philippus the Apostle is known in Latin as Sanctus Philippus and is listed among the Twelve; he is described in Acts and later traditions as assisting in the spread of early Christianity. The Renaissance physician Paracelsus was born Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, and the Latinized given name Philippus is often used in biographical references to him. Beyond these, many other Latin authors used Philippus to render a native Philip in their biographical or scholarly works.

In modern contexts, Philippus remains primarily a historical or ecclesiastical form and is seldom used as a given name today outside specific religious or scholarly circles; the name is more commonly encountered in Latin texts or as part of Latinized biographical conventions. See also Philip.