Show ContentsFilip History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the name Filip were the ancient Britons that inhabited in the hills and Moors of Wales. This surname was derived from the personal name Philip. This name, which was usually Latinized as Philippus, was originally derived from the Greek name Philippos. This Greek name was composed of the words "philein," which means "to love," and "hippos," which means "horse." The personal name Philip owed its popularity to the medieval romances about Alexander the Great, whose father was Philip of Macedon.

Philip of Poiters (died 1208?) was Bishop of Durham and a favourite clerk of Richard I. He accompanied the latter on his crusade of 1189, and was present at his marriage with Berengaria of Navarre at Cyprus in 1191. 1

Early Origins of the Filip family

The surname Filip was first found in Kent, where legend has it that the family (but not the surname) is descended from Maximus, the Briton, Roman Emperor from 383 until his death in 388, and the King of Britain, when he married the daughter of Octavius, King of the Britons. Later the family was forced back into Wales by the invading Saxons, where they traditionally claim descent from Tudwal (c.AD 528-564) "of the wounded knee," a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, first King of Wales.

Early History of the Filip family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Filip research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1279, 1500, 1533, 1543, 1560, 1566, 1568, 1570, 1586, 1587, 1588, 1594, 1599, 1604, 1613, 1614, 1620, 1629, 1630, 1631, 1638, 1640, 1644, 1653, 1662, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1696, 1699, 1701, 1706, 1709, 1720, 1721, 1724, 1749 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Filip History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Filip Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Filip has seen various spelling variations: Phillips, Philips, Phillip, Philip, Pilip, Pillips, Fillip, Filip, Filips, Phillipes, Philipes, Phillup, Philups, Fillups, Filups, Pilups, Pillups, Fulop and many more.

Early Notables of the Filip family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sion Phylip (1543-1620), Welsh poet, son of Phylip ap Morgan; Sir Robert Phelips (1560-1614), English Speaker of the House of Commons and master of the rolls, was fourth and youngest son of Thomas Phelips (1500-1588) of Montacute, Somerset.Miles Philips (fl. 1587), was an English mariner with Captain John Hawkyns on his voyage of 1568. He and another 114 were put ashore near Panuco, Mexico. They were captured and indentured as domestic servants. Philips also worked in a mine where over four years accumulated some four thousand pieces of eight. During the...
Another 270 words (19 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Filip Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Filip Ranking

In the United States, the name Filip is the 15,843rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Ireland Migration of the Filip family to Ireland

Some of the Filip family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 109 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Filip family

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Filip: Elinor and Henry Phillips who settled in Virginia in 1623; George Phillips, who came to Salem, MA in 1630; John, Edward, William, Andrew, Bodman, Charles, David, Griffith, James and Jo Phillips, who all arrived with their families in Virginia between 1635 and 1667.


Contemporary Notables of the name Filip (post 1700) +

  • Erik Filip Lundberg (1907-1987), Swedish economist
  • Filip Babic (b. 1995), Serbian professional footballer
  • Filip Robar Dorin (1940-2023), Slovenian film director, screenwriter, and film editor
  • Sergeant Filip Konowal (1888-1959), Ukrainian Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross during the First World War, only Ukrainian recipient of the VC 3
  • Filip Král (b. 1999), Czech professional ice hockey player
  • Filip Trojan (b. 1983), Czech footballer
  • Filip Robar Dorin (b. 1940), Slovenian film director, screenwriter, and film editor
  • Filip Andrzej Kaczmarek (b. 1966), Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament
  • Filip Novotny (b. 1991), Czech ice hockey goaltender
  • Filip Burkhardt (b. 1987), Polish footballer


The Filip Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ducit amor patriae
Motto Translation: Patriotism leads me.


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Filip Konowal. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Filip Konowal. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filip_Konowal


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