101 Filipino Last Names With Meanings And History
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Your character's last name adds gravitas to their personality.
Last names tell a lot about your family and the place you belong to. It can play a vital role in developing your personality.
Filipino surnames can be a great choice for you! The Philippines is a beautiful country situated in Southeast Asia.
What makes it more special is that the country is a blend of different cultures and traditions, most of which happened during the Spanish colonization. After that, the people started converting to Christianity and used Spanish surnames. Mostly the Filipino surnames have either Spanish, Chinese, Arabic roots, etc.
But there are various others as well with Tagalog origin. Here is our list of some great Filipino surnames that might just impress you.
For more last names, take a look at Korean Last Names and Nigerian Last Names.
Common Filipino Last Names
Filipino surnames are mostly preferred because of their associations with different roots. And some deep and thoughtful meanings add the icing on the cake. Here are some good surnames.
1. Abalos meaning "the desert tunes". One of the common Filipino surnames derived from the popular Filipino politician, Benjamin Abalos.
2. Abe meaning "father of nations or many".
3. Abad meaning "priest".
4. Bacolod meaning "stonehill". This surname is derived from the stonehill city Bacolod, the first highly urbanized city in Negros Island.
5. Basilio meaning "kingly or royal".
6. Belmonte meaning "beautiful mountain". One of the common surnames derived from the famous Filipino poet Vito Belmonte.
7. Cabello meaning "hair". This name is linked with the famous singer Camilla Cabello, a former member of the girl band Fifth Harmony.
8. Celestial meaning "heavenly".
9. Davino meaning "beloved". This name is linked with the famous Filipino taekwondo practitioner Sorn Davin.
10. Elyas meaning "my God is Yahweh".
11. Enriquez (Spanish origin) meaning "son of Enrique". Virgilio Enriquez is known as the Father of Filipino psychology.
12. Facundo meaning "talkative or eloquent". This name is derived from a fourth-century martyr of Leon, who is commemorated in the place name San Facundo.
13. Galvez meaning "triumphant". Carlito Galvez Jr. is the name of a famous Filipino legend.
14. Ilagan meaning "islet lake".
15. Mendoza meaning "cold mountain". Brillante Mendoza is a famous director from the Philippines.
16. Morin meaning "dark and swarthy".
17. Perez meaning "to breach or burst forth". Kurt Perez was a very famous Filipino child actor that won the talent show, 'Starstruck kids'.
18. Pandoro meaning "all gifts". This name is derived from Pandora, a Greek mythological figure and the first mortal lady.
19. Posadas meaning "standstill or resting place".
20. Radiomoda meaning "youthful or juvenile king". This name was used for addressing the ancient young kings.
21. Salazar meaning "old hall". This name is derived from the ancient Spanish dweller tribe who settled in the Philippines.
22. Suarez meaning "son of Suero". This name was used by the ancient Galicia people for the sons of the great King Suero. Fernando Suarez is a famous Filipino priest.
23. Timbol meaning "floating".
24.Torres meaning "tower". This name is linked with the famous Filipina actress, Andrea Torres.
25. Velasco meaning "raven".
Popular Filipino Last Names
Filipino surnames have been one of the top preferences for people all over the world. And most of these have managed to become very popular. Having popular surnames can really make you stand out. Here are our top picks of the popular Filipino surnames.
26. Abadiano meaning "appreciative".
27. Abelardo meaning "breath". This name is linked with the popular Filipino composer, Nicanor Abelardo.
28. Almazan meaning "the fortified place".
29. Barretto meaning "the barrier". This Filipino surname is derived from the 16th-century writer and philosopher Alonso de Barros.
30. Cabrera meaning "goatherd". This Spanish surname is linked to Benedicto Cabrera, a Filipino painter, who was also awarded the 2006 National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts.
31. Chaves meaning "keys". Victorico Chaves was a Filipino sportsperson and a politician.
32. dela Cruz meaning "of the cross". This is the most popular surname in the Philippines. Marc delaCruz is a major Fillipino actor in American movies.
33. del Rosario meaning "of the rosarium or rosegarden". This Spanish word is associated with the popular Filipino Basketball player, Aric del Rosario.
34. Dalisay meaning "pure hearted".
35. Diwa means "light or candle". One of the ancient Filipino names derived from the Filipino patriot Ladislao Diwa, who organised the Philippines Revolution against Spain.
36. Esguerra meaning "left-handed". One of the popular Spanish surnames can be linked to Tommy Esguerra, a Filipino actor.
37. Fernandez meaning "son of Fernando". It also means "brave traveller". This surname can be linked to Doreen Fernandez, the notable Filipina author.
38. Flor meaning "flower".
39. Guinta meaning "good addition". This surname is derived from the legendary Argentine art historian, professor, researcher, and curator, Andrea Guinta.
40. Halili meaning "beloved".
41. Moreno meaning "dark-haired". This surname is derived from the popular legendary Filipina actress, Alma Moreno.
42. Noriega meaning "to whine".
43. Padilla meaning "frying pan". This surname can be linked to the famous Filipino actor, Daniel Padilla.
44. Peralta meaning "high rock".
45. Rimas meaning "a type of beautiful diamond".
46. Roberto meaning "bright fame". This surname is connected to Eduardo L. Roberto, a famous Filipino professor in marketing.
47. Ruiz meaning "renowned". Lorenzo Ruiz is an extremely significant Filipino saint in the history of the Philippines.
48. Sauro meaning "sorrel color".
49. Tibayan meaning "stronger". This surname is derived from the ancient armed forces of the Philippines.
50. Urrutia meaning "isolated".
51. Veluz meaning "visible brightness".
Rare Filipino Surnames
What is the beauty of rare names? These are the names that are not mostly used and hence, they can stand out.
This makes these names a choice for those who want something unique. And we have prepared a list of the best surnames in the Philippines, some from the Tagalog language, making them rarer than Spanish originating given names.
52. Abella meaning "beekeeper".
53. Agustin meaning "to increase". Marvin Agustin is the name of a famous Filipino entrepreneur and actor.
54. Ballesteros meaning "son of crossbowman".
55. Bernal meaning "bear-brave". This surname is linked to the famous Filipino director, Ishmael Bernal.
56. Castro meaning "fortress".
57. Carpio meaning "hills".
58. Estrella meaning "star". A popular last name derived from the Greek mythological figure Estrella, the Star Princess. Linda Estrella was a major Filipina actress.
59. Esquivel meaning "behind lime trees".
60. Faustino meaning "good luck". A rare Filipino surname associated with the pioneering Filipino novelist, journalist, revolutionary and union leader, Faustino Aguilar.
61. Galang (Tagalog origin)meaning "to respect".
62. Manalo (Tagalog origin) meaning "big win".
63. Navarro meaning "from Navarra". One of the common surnames derived from Navarra, an established kingdom in medieval Spain. Vhong Navarro is a famous Filipino comedian.
64. Rioflorido meaning "flowers beside a flowing river".
65. Rosario meaning "rose garden".
66. Valencia meaning "health". This was the name of the great Queen of Spain, Queen Valencia.
Cool Filipino Surnames
Did you know that your names can have a great impact on how cool your character seem? In fact, surnames can not only help bring out your quality but also tell a lot about your family. There are a lot of Filipino surnames which sound very cool. Here are our top picks.
67. Agbayani (Tagalog origin) meaning "patriotic".
68. Aranda meaning "valley". This surname is derived from Alfredo María Aranda Obviar, a prominent Filipino saint.
69. Baquiran (Tagalog origin) meaning "classmate".
70. Briones (Tagalog origin) meaning "strong".
71. Dimaano (Tagalog origin) meaning "untouchable". This is the name of a lady general of the ancient Spanish army, Concepcion D. Dimaano. Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story is a recent Filipino animated movie.
72. Espino meaning "hawthorn".
73. Gallardo meaning "cheerful".
74. Gozar meaning "to enjoy".
75. Oliveros meaning "olive tree". Luz Oliveros-Belardo was a famous Filipina pharmaceutical chemist.
76. Portillo meaning "port".
77. Pabalat (Tagalog origin) meaning "saddle".
78. Radiad meaning "divine".
79. Soriano meaning "from Soria". Andrés Soriano Sr. was a Spanish Filipino industrialist.
80. Salalila meaning "body". This was the name of an ancient king of the historical region of Maynila. Rajah Salalila was the ruler of this early Indianized Philippines.
81. Sumaya meaning "superior".
82. Salvador meaning "messiah". This name is linked with the Filipina actress, Maja Salvador.
83. Tungpalan meaning "blessings".
84. Trinidad meaning "trinity". La Trinidad, officially the Municipality of La Trinidad is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Benguet, Philippines. TJ Trinidad is a Filipino actor.
85. Valle meaning "valley".
86. Wagan meaning "carrier".
Unique Filipino Last Names
Many of the Spanish surnames become common surnames in the Philippines. Most names and surnames of the Philippines do have a Spanish origin. Here is a list of some unique Filipino surnames which will surely lure you away.
87. Acosta meaning "coast". This is the name of a famous Filipino rapper, Jelo Acosta.
88. Alvarado meaning "whitened place".
89. Avelino meaning "saint". This name was borne by Saint Andrea Avellino in the Philippines.
90. Bonilla meaning "good child".
91. Calumpang meaning "almond tree".
92. Canosa meaning "reed". This is the name of a town and commune province of Spain. Joamar-John Canosa is a Filipino YouTuber.
93. Custodio meaning "guardian".
94. Datuimam meaning "a leader".
95. Galura meaning "a bird".
96. Labrador meaning "work or labor". One of the common surnames.
97. Laxamana meaning "admiral".
98. Mabini meaning "modest". Apolinario Mabini was a Filippino revolutionary leader.
99. Magasaysay meaning "to tell or relate". One of the unique surnames derived from Ramon Magsaysay, the seventh President of the Philippines.
100. Oracion meaning "prayer or sentence".
101. Zamora meaning "wild olives".
Kidadl has lots of great names articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for Filipino Last Names then why not take a look at Hawaiian Last Names, or for something different take a look at Last Names Beginning With X. You might also like Ecuadorian Last Names!
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature.
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