Alternate spelling of this name is Finneas, though, it becomes a different meaning with that spelling. The original "Phineas", in Hebrew, means "Oracle". In Greek, it means " mouth of brass". With the spelling as "Finneas", the name means "variant of Finn". The root name in this spelling is Finn, the Anglicanized version of the Irish "Fion" (which is pronounced "Finn"). Adding "eas" to the end, this makes it say "variant of". So when this name is spelled "Finneas", it means "variant of Finn".
I have also loved the name Phineas since high school because of the beloved character in A Separate Peace. We're planning to name our son this, with nickname Finn. I see a number of sites including this one only reference the Old Testament character Phinehas as the name's origin whereas there is an ancient Greek oracle king Phineus as well (from Jason and the Argonauts mythology). We much prefer this latter namesake and sites which fail to include it are misleading. For this reason we will likely use the Greek "-us" spelling instead.
Phineas Filch, a character in the Ace Attorney series.
― Anonymous User 5/9/2019
3
I have seen Phineas and Ferb too, but there’s a bodybuilder on Family Guy who bears this name too.
― Anonymous User 11/9/2018
2
I prefer Phinean to Phineas. But it is a hard name for a kid to pull off either way, though Phinean would be easier to get away with. Kid would probably be called Fin.
― Anonymous User 9/29/2018
-5
When I hear this name, I think of a riverboat gambler.
― Anonymous User 12/7/2016
-3
Phineas on a young man sounds mature and refined. I enjoy the pronunciation too.
I don't dislike this name, I just can't imagine it on an actual person. It's too funny. A child with the name "Phineas" today would be constantly teased, and the very popular childrens' television program Phineas and Ferb doesn't help that.
― Anonymous User 4/13/2013
-9
I've been seeing a lot of negative comments about this name! :( It actually happens to be my favorite boy's name! It's so nice to say it/hear it said. It would age well with a person. I think the nickname Finny is very cute (on a little boy). And the name isn't overly common either; I think a little boy called Phineas would be refreshing to see among all the other little Aidans and Jacks. I simply adore the name, and will give it to my first son, provided I ever have a son.
I LOVE this name! I don't know why, cause I don't think it's a name I would normally like, but I just do! It's mature enough so that it would follow him into adulthood, while Finn/Finny would also make a cute nickname for it when he's little... :D I think I'm going to call my son this someday.
― Anonymous User 11/23/2010
8
It sounds hopelessly old-fashioned and pretentious, and it has the unfortunate association with P. T. Barnum. I dislike the misspellings of this name as well.
I love the name. I simply love it. It's not too cute but not too strange either. Well, it depends on taste, as always ;). To me, it's a go-for-it name.
This is a really nice name (ignore Harry Potter and Julia Roberts). It's formal enough that he won't be embarrassed by it when he's an adult, but it's easy to familiarly nickname. One of the most attractive characters in American literature bears this name (John Knowles's A Separate Peace).
― Anonymous User 6/20/2006
6
Phineas T. Bluster, mayor of Doodyville on the old children's show Howdy Doody.
Love this name! I much prefer this spelling over the other (with the second "h"). The moniker Phin/Finn is a fantastic nickname for a little boy. Too cute. :-)
― Anonymous User 2/18/2006
6
I think Phineas makes a great and perfectly respectable middle name.
Phineas Gage was a railroad worker who had a 3 foot steel rod blown through his skull and survived. His case led to new insights into how the human brain works.