Phyllis’s Notebook: Personalized Journal for Phyllis
Phyllis's Notebook is a lined journal with one name on the cover, hers. The name sits in flowing script above a soft pink watercolor apple blossom design.
- 160 lined pages
- 6" x 9" paperback
- Watercolor apple blossom cover with "Phyllis's Notebook" on the front
- Printed and shipped by Amazon
The meaning of Phyllis
Phyllis means “foliage” in Greek. Behind the Name tells the myth behind it: Phyllis was a woman who died for love of Demophon and was transformed into an almond tree. It began to be used as a given name in England in the 16th century, though it was often confused with Felicia. Wikipedia adds that the spelling Phillis was used by the poets John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, and Matthew Prior, and that the spelling Phyllis was popularized in the late 1800s after the Irish novelist Margaret Wolfe Hungerford used it for a heroine in 1877.
Nicknames for Phyllis
Behind the Name lists the English variants Phillis, Phyliss and Philis, and Wikipedia adds Phyllida and Phillida as related forms. Phillis is the older spelling, seen in 17th-century poetry and in the name of the 18th-century poet Phillis Wheatley.
Famous women named Phyllis
Phyllis Diller was one of the first female comics to become a household name in the United States, and Wikipedia credits her as an influence on Joan Rivers, Roseanne Barr and Ellen DeGeneres. Poet Phyllis McGinley, known for humorous light verse, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and appeared on the cover of Time in 1965. And Phillis Wheatley, also spelled Phyllis, is considered the first African American author of a published book of poetry, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773).
How popular is Phyllis?
Phyllis peaked between the world wars. US Social Security data has it 99th in the 1910s, 42nd in the 1920s and at its best rank, 27th, in the 1930s. Its biggest decade by count was the 1940s, when more than 76,000 American girls were named Phyllis. It was 75th in the 1950s and 149th in the 1960s before leaving the top 200, so most Phyllises today are in their 60s and older.
Fun facts about the name Phyllis
Phyllis Diller made her film debut in Splendor in the Grass (1961) and went on to more than 40 films. Wikipedia also notes she was one of the first celebrities to talk openly about plastic surgery, and that her trademark was a wild, cackling laugh.
Phyllis gift ideas
- For a joke collector. One-liners and funny stories, in honor of Phyllis Diller.
- For a poet. Drafts and light verse, for a name shared with Phyllis McGinley and Phillis Wheatley.
- For a gardener. Phyllis means “foliage”, so it suits anyone who loves plants.
- For an 80th birthday. Phyllis peaked in the 1930s and 1940s, so big birthdays are here.
Who it’s for and ways to use it
This is a notebook for every kind of Phyllis: the student, the list-maker, the diary keeper, the busy mom. Its 160 lined pages and 6" x 9" format suit daily journaling, study, meal plans, goals or gratitude notes. Plain lines mean no rules about how to use it. Her name on the front makes it easy to spot on a crowded desk.
Why a name on the cover matters
Notebooks tend to multiply on desks and in drawers. One with Phyllis’s name on the front is instantly hers: easy to spot, harder to “borrow”, and more personal than a plain cover. For children especially, seeing their own name on something makes it special and encourages them to actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Phyllis’s Notebook? The notebook measures 6 x 9 inches (roughly 15 x 23 cm) and has 160 lined pages.
Where do I buy it? Use the buttons on this page to find it on Amazon in the US, Australia and the UK. Amazon handles printing, shipping and returns.
Do you have other names? Yes. We publish hundreds of girls’ name notebooks with the same cover design. See our personalized name notebooks page or browse all name notebooks.
View Phyllis's Notebook on Amazon
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