Punxsutawney Phil was officially given his name in 1961.
The name refers to the celebrated groundhog associated with Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania’s annual Groundhog Day ceremony. Although the town’s Groundhog Day event formally began in 1887, the “Phil” name came much later, so 1887 is not the answer to this question.
The origin of the name is uncertain. One suggestion is that it may have been indirectly inspired by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, but this explanation is not firmly established. The organizers have also maintained the humorous tradition that there has always been only one Phil, despite the normal lifespan of a groundhog.
Every February 2, Phil is brought to Gobbler’s Knob before a large crowd. According to the folklore, seeing his shadow means six more weeks of winter-like weather, while not seeing it signals an early spring. The ceremony is rooted in Germanic Candlemas traditions adapted by immigrants in Pennsylvania.