Philo is of Greek origin and means "lover of," derived from the word 'philos' which translates to 'love'. It gained popularity among early Christians, as 'Philoi' was used to describe friends or loved ones in the New Testament. In literature, Philo Judaeus, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived during the first century CE, is a notable figure associated with this name. Philo is also a variant of the more common names Philip and Phillip.
The name Philo seems to have experienced peaks and valleys in popularity over the years, with notable spikes occurring between 1915-1918, 1936, 2016-2018, and most recently in 2023. The majority of births recorded were either 5 or 9 per year, indicating that while Philo was not exceptionally common, it maintained a consistent presence throughout history.