Where does “Phelps” come from?
Phelps is an English surname derived from the personal name Philip, from Ancient Greek Φίλιππος, meaning "lover of horses," from φίλος "loving" and a root meaning "horse."
Ancestry of “Phelps”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Philip | One of the twelve disciples of Jesus in the Bible; one of the seven deacons |
| 2 | Middle English | Philip | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | φίλιππος | fond of horses |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | φιλέω | I love, like, regard highly; I treat kindly,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀτέλεια | exemption from public burdens, immunity |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |