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Filipino last names: 170+ Filipino names and surnames with meanings

173 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

Common Filipino last names include Dela Cruz, Garcia, Reyes, Santos and Mendoza, Spanish surnames that spread after Governor-General Narciso Clavería's decree of November 21, 1849. Filipino names and surnames also include native Tagalog surnames like Maligaya (happy) and Dimaculangan, and Chinese Filipino surnames like Tan, Sy and Lacson.

Below are 170+ Filipino surnames with their meanings or origins. Sections cover common and religious Spanish surnames, Tagalog last names built from everyday words, the Di- names, surnames from precolonial titles, Kapampangan, Ilocano and Visayan surnames, Chinese Filipino surnames, including the Hispanized ones that end in -son and -co, and the surnames of famous Filipinos from history.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Bitoon

    Star; a Cebuano surname also found in Panay

  • Santos

    The saints, a devotional surname

  • Ignacio

    From the saint's name Ignatius; a top 60 Filipino surname

  • Gokongwei

    From the full Hokkien name of a Cebu business patriarch

  • Manalo

    To win, to conquer; a common Tagalog surname

  • Gabay

    Guide; common in Batangas

Find a Filipino surname on this page

Narrow 173 surnames by how common they are in the 2020 US Census, by section, length or first letter, or search the meanings.

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Common Filipino last names

Spanish surnames found in every Philippine province today. Many entered families through the 1849 Catálogo alfabético de apellidos.

  1. Dela Cruz US #417: Of the cross; usually ranked the most common Filipino surname
  2. Garcia US #6: From a medieval Spanish name, possibly from Basque hartz, bear
  3. Reyes US #56: Kings, for the Three Kings of the Epiphany
  4. Ramos US #74: Branches, for the palms of Palm Sunday
  5. Mendoza US #88: From a Basque place name, cold mountain
  6. Santos US #190: The saints, a devotional surname
  7. Bautista US #554: Baptist, for Saint John the Baptist
  8. Villanueva US #532: New town, from many places in Spain
  9. Gonzales US #114: Son of Gonzalo; the usual Filipino spelling of González
  10. De Guzman US #3,017: Of Guzmán, a Spanish village and noble house
  11. Aquino US #1,267: From Aquino, the Italian town Saint Thomas Aquinas is named for; a top 20 surname
  12. De Leon US #336: Of León, the Spanish city and old kingdom
  13. Domingo US #2,888: Sunday, from Latin dominicus, of the Lord
  14. Soriano US #1,316: From Soria, a city in Spain; a top 30 surname
  15. Tolentino US #2,950: After a 13th-century Italian friar saint; a top 40 surname
  16. Valdez US #250: From Valdés, a place name in Asturias, Spain
  17. Mercado US #533: Market; the Rizal family's surname before 1849
  18. Corpuz US #5,900: From Corpus Christi, the body of Christ; a top 50 surname
  19. Sarmiento US #2,456: Vine shoot, a young grapevine branch; Spanish
  20. Pineda US #518: Pine grove; a Spanish place name
  21. Esguerra US #12,087: Altered from the Spanish surname Esquerra, left; a top 70 surname
  22. Salazar US #177: From a Basque place name; one of the most common Filipino surnames
  23. Villegas US #711: From a village of the same name in Burgos, Spain
  24. Ocampo US #1,368: From O Campo, the field, a Galician place name
  25. Abad US #5,085: Abbot; a Spanish surname from a church title
  26. Alcantara US #2,579: From Arabic al-qantara, the bridge, by way of Spanish
  27. Valenzuela US #605: A Spanish place-name surname; a Metro Manila city shares it
  28. Ignacio US #5,152: From the saint's name Ignatius; a top 60 Filipino surname

Religious Filipino surnames

Surnames honoring saints, feasts and Catholic devotions. Many families picked these from the 1849 catalog for religious reasons.

  1. Delos Santos US #1,723: Of the saints; a classic devotional surname
  2. Del Rosario US #3,683: Of the rosary; honors Our Lady of the Rosary
  3. Delos Reyes US #5,953: Of the kings, meaning the three Magi
  4. Dela Paz US #5,196: Of peace; honors Our Lady of Peace
  5. Dela Rosa US #887: Of the rose; a Spanish devotional surname
  6. Evangelista US #3,846: Evangelist, a Gospel writer; a top 40 Filipino surname
  7. Espiritu US #6,778: Spirit, for the Holy Spirit; a top 50 Filipino surname
  8. Resurreccion US #32,206: Resurrection; a Spanish devotional surname
  9. Buenaventura US #16,141: Good fortune; also honors Saint Bonaventure
  10. San Jose US #23,906: Saint Joseph; a devotional surname and a common town name
  11. Santa Maria US #2,808: Saint Mary; a devotional surname and a Bulacan town
  12. Nepomuceno US #18,447: After Saint John of Nepomuk, patron saint of confessors
  13. Divinagracia US #59,630: Divine grace; common in Iloilo and Negros Occidental
  14. Del Mundo US #26,208: Of the world; a Spanish phrase surname

Tagalog last names that describe virtues

Native Tagalog words listed beside Spanish names in the 1849 catalog. Many are still most common in Batangas and nearby provinces.

  1. Maligaya US #106,589: Happy, cheerful; mostly found in Batangas
  2. Matalino: Smart, intelligent; a Tagalog word surname
  3. Matatag: Steadfast, sturdy, resilient; Tagalog
  4. Magaling: Skilled, excellent; common in Bulacan and Batangas
  5. Mapalad: Fortunate, lucky; listed in the 1849 catalog
  6. Maliwanag: Bright, clear; most common in Batangas and Mindoro
  7. Tunay: True, genuine; found mostly in Laguna and Palawan
  8. Tanyag: Well-known, famous; common in Metro Manila, Laguna and Quezon
  9. Banal US #83,650: Holy, pious; common in Batangas and Quezon
  10. Galang US #10,679: Respect, reverence; a Tagalog and Kapampangan surname
  11. Isip US #38,120: Mind, thought; Tagalog and Kapampangan. Spelled Ysip in the 1849 catalog
  12. Carunungan: Wisdom, from the Tagalog word karunungan
  13. Catapang US #85,854: From tapang, courage; most common in Batangas
  14. Calinisan: Cleanliness, purity; listed in the 1849 catalog
  15. Cabutihan: Goodness, kindness; most common in Batangas and Quezon
  16. Caibigan: Friend; common in Batangas, Quezon and Mindoro
  17. Aliwalas: Pleasantness, a clear and airy feeling; Tagalog

Tagalog last names from action words

Surnames that began as Tagalog verbs, many with a bold or hopeful sense.

  1. Mangahas US #55,632: To dare, to venture; listed in the 1849 catalog
  2. Manalo US #8,762: To win, to conquer; a common Tagalog surname
  3. Sumulong US #105,198: To advance, to move forward; Tagalog
  4. Mandigma: To wage war; a fighter's surname
  5. Magdangal: To honor, to give praise; an old Nueva Ecija surname
  6. Halili US #28,086: Successor, substitute; a Tagalog word surname
  7. Maglipon: To gather; common in Central Luzon and Cavite
  8. Magsino US #41,459: To look closely; common in Batangas
  9. Lapitan US #53,526: To come near; mostly found in Laguna
  10. Ilagan US #19,835: To be dodged; spelled Ylagan in the 1849 catalog
  11. Tibayan US #58,949: To strengthen; mostly found in Cavite and Batangas
  12. Matira: To remain, to be left over; Tagalog

Tagalog surnames from nature and everyday words

Light, weather, directions, plants and birds turned into family names.

  1. Liwanag US #28,086: Light, illumination; spelled Liuanag in the 1849 catalog
  2. Bahaghari: Rainbow; a Tagalog word surname
  3. Banaag US #40,697: Glimmer, the faint light of dawn; Tagalog and Hiligaynon
  4. Arao US #100,083: Old spelling of araw, sun or day
  5. Alab: Blaze, flame; mostly found in Batangas
  6. Punla US #115,151: Seedling; common in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac
  7. Timog: South; a Tagalog direction word
  8. Hilaga: North; most common in Laguna and Rizal
  9. Malapit US #89,563: Near, close by; common in Batangas
  10. Gabay US #24,413: Guide; common in Batangas
  11. Agapay US #78,395: Alongside, side by side; most common in Batangas and Laguna
  12. Panalangin: Prayer; most common in Batangas
  13. Halimbawa: Example; most common in Oriental Mindoro
  14. Tatlonghari US #107,024: Three kings, the Magi; listed in the 1849 catalog
  15. Mutiangpili: Chosen pearl, from the Tagalog words mutya and pili
  16. Kalaw US #84,785: Hornbill, a large forest bird; Tagalog
  17. Tanglao US #83,936: Old spelling of tanglaw, torch or guiding light
  18. Sadiwa: Fresh, from sariwa; common in Marinduque
  19. Liwag US #53,758: Slowness in movement; spelled Liuag in the 1849 catalog

Di- surnames: Tagalog names that mean cannot be

Surnames built on di, not, that describe someone who cannot be beaten, bent or lost. Most are concentrated in Batangas.

  1. Dimaculangan US #65,358: Cannot be missed or found wanting; mostly found in Batangas
  2. Dimagiba US #134,631: Cannot be destroyed, indestructible; mostly found in Bulacan
  3. Dimalanta US #31,790: Unwithering, never fading; common in Batangas and Quezon
  4. Dimaapi: Cannot be oppressed; a proud Tagalog surname
  5. Dimasupil: Cannot be subdued; most common in Batangas and Quezon
  6. Dimayuga US #53,103: Unshakeable; mostly found in Batangas
  7. Dimapilis US #90,848: Cannot be twisted; listed in the 1849 catalog
  8. Dimawala: Cannot be lost; mostly found in Batangas
  9. Dimalibot: Cannot be gone around; common in Batangas, Quezon and Mindoro
  10. Dimacali US #69,958: Restless, from the Tagalog phrase di makali
  11. Dimatatac: Cannot be marked or stamped; Tagalog
  12. Dimapasoc: Cannot be entered, impenetrable; mostly found in Batangas

Filipino surnames from precolonial titles and names

Gat (lord) and Lakan (paramount ruler) were noble titles before Spanish rule. Some families kept a title or an ancestor's name as their surname.

  1. Gatmaitan US #66,829: Gat (lord) of Ma-i, an old polity in Chinese records
  2. Gatpandan: From Gat Pandan, an early ruler of Silang, Cavite
  3. Gatchalian US #28,830: From Gat Salian, an old Tagalog chief's title; a leading family of old Malolos
  4. Gatdula US #44,341: Gat Dula, another name of Tondo's last paramount ruler
  5. Lacanilao US #85,600: From lakan ilaw, lord of light
  6. Panlilio US #43,557: From Pan Liliw, father of Liliw, an old Tagalog byname
  7. Punongbayan US #153,590: Town head; probably a Spanish-era local title turned surname
  8. Tupas US #53,969: After Cebu's last rajah, who faced Legazpi's expedition in 1565
  9. Laxamana US #36,437: Respelled Lacsamana, a Malay title for an admiral
  10. Macaraig US #60,433: From the old Tagalog given name Makaraig, conquering

Kapampangan, Ilocano and Visayan last names

Native surnames from the other big Philippine languages, from Pampanga and Ilocos to Cebu and Panay.

  1. Calma US #24,678: Fate, fortune; Kapampangan, from Sanskrit karma
  2. Bondoc US #18,744: Mountain; Kapampangan, kin to Tagalog bundok
  3. Lansangan US #64,360: Street; a Kapampangan word surname
  4. Mallari US #11,601: From Apung Maliari, a moon god of Kapampangan folklore
  5. Galura US #96,965: From Garuda, the divine eagle of Sanskrit myth; Kapampangan
  6. Agbayani US #22,267: To become a hero; Ilocano
  7. Biag US #130,360: Life; an Ilocano word surname
  8. Ulep US #40,105: Cloud; Ilocano, common in Ilocos Norte
  9. Dumlao US #17,204: To notice; an Ilocano surname from Ilocos Norte
  10. Sagaysay: A comb, from the everyday Ilocano word
  11. Adlao: Sun or day; Cebuano adlaw in Spanish spelling
  12. Bitoon: Star; a Cebuano surname also found in Panay
  13. Bahandi: Treasure, wealth; a Cebuano word surname
  14. Balaod: Law, rule; a Cebuano word surname
  15. Bacunawa: The moon-eating sea serpent of Visayan myth
  16. Bantug US #95,802: Famous, renowned; Cebuano, also used in Panay
  17. Alimasag: Blue swimming crab; Cebuano
  18. Atis US #92,231: Sugar apple, a sweet tropical fruit; Cebuano

Chinese Filipino surnames

Short surnames of Chinese Filipino families, spelled from Hokkien, the main Chinese language of the Philippines. The Mandarin reading and meaning follow.

  1. Sy (施) US #6,290: Hokkien spelling of Shi; a leading Chinese Filipino surname
  2. Go (吳) US #6,558: Hokkien spelling of Wu, an ancient state; also Goh
  3. Co (許) US #10,704: Hokkien spelling of Xu, to allow; also spelled Kho
  4. Uy (黃) US #7,453: Hokkien spelling of Huang, yellow
  5. Dy (李) US #13,421: Hokkien spelling of Li, plum tree
  6. Yap (葉) US #6,253: Hokkien spelling of Ye, leaf
  7. Tiu (張) US #19,315: Hokkien spelling of Zhang, to draw a bow
  8. Ty (鄭) US #22,420: Hokkien spelling of Zheng, an ancient state
  9. Chiong (蔣) US #26,301: Hokkien spelling of Jiang, a Zhou-era fief
  10. Que (郭) US #26,900: Hokkien spelling of Guo, outer city wall
  11. Cu (邱) US #30,066: Hokkien spelling of Qiu, hill
  12. Tan (陳) US #856: Hokkien spelling of Chen, an ancient state; among the 40 most common surnames in the Philippines
  13. Lim (林) US #839: Hokkien spelling of Lin, forest

Hispanized Chinese Filipino surnames

Chinese families who settled under Spanish rule often turned a Hokkien word for grandchild, or an ancestor's full name ending in ko (elder brother), into one Spanish-spelled surname.

  1. Tuason US #34,148: From Hokkien toa-sun, eldest grandson
  2. Tiongson US #33,419: From Hokkien for eldest or middle grandson
  3. Sioson US #53,634: From Hokkien siáu-sun, a humble word for one's grandson
  4. Dizon US #4,994: Possibly Hokkien for second grandchild; a top 50 Filipino surname
  5. Sison US #8,317: From Hokkien si-sun, fourth grandchild
  6. Gozon US #123,144: From Hokkien for fifth grandchild
  7. Lacson US #20,879: From Hokkien lak-sun, sixth grandchild
  8. Sitchon: From Hokkien chhit-sun, seventh grandchild
  9. Pueson: From Hokkien poeh-sun, eighth grandchild
  10. Causon: From Hokkien kau-sun, ninth grandchild
  11. Cojuangco: A patriarch's surname, a given-name syllable and ko, elder brother
  12. Yuchengco: A founding ancestor's Hokkien name plus the honorific ko
  13. Gokongwei: From the full Hokkien name of a Cebu business patriarch
  14. Ongpin: From Ông Pin, part of a patriarch's Hokkien name; also a Manila street
  15. Cinco US #26,329: A Hokkien name ending in ko; it only looks like Spanish five
  16. Teehankee: Hispanized Hokkien family name of a Philippine chief justice
  17. Tantoco US #104,723: A Hokkien surname respelled in the Spanish colonial era

Filipino names and surnames from history

Surnames carried by Filipino presidents, patriots and heroes. Each note gives the meaning or origin, plus the famous first name that went with it.

  1. Aguinaldo US #18,635: Spanish for Christmas gift; Emilio led the 1899 republic as president
  2. Roxas US #14,475: Old spelling of Rojas, red; Manuel became president in 1946
  3. Quirino US #19,013: From the saint's name Quirinus; Elpidio was president from 1948 to 1953
  4. Recto US #71,896: Spanish for straight, upright; senator Claro M. was a famed nationalist
  5. Mabini US #76,963: Tagalog for modest, prudent; Apolinario was called the brains of the revolution
  6. Paterno US #20,452: Spanish for fatherly; Pedro led the First Republic's cabinet in 1899
  7. Del Pilar US #32,948: Of the pillar, a title of Mary; patriot Marcelo H. edited La Solidaridad
  8. Ejercito: Spanish for army; the birth surname of President Joseph Estrada
  9. Ponce US #683: From the Roman family name Pontius; Mariano wrote for the reform movement
  10. Burgos US #1,314: From a city in northern Spain; Father José was executed in 1872
  11. Agoncillo US #83,936: From a town in La Rioja, Spain; Marcela sewed the first flag in 1898
  12. Bonifacio US #10,964: From Latin Bonifatius, good fate; Andrés co-founded the Katipunan in 1892
  13. Rizal US #36,150: From Spanish rizal, a field green with regrowth; José's family added it after 1849

How to pick the right name

Match the surname to the region

Tagalog word surnames cluster in Batangas and nearby provinces, Ilocano ones in Ilocos Norte and Kapampangan ones in Pampanga. Pick one from the region where your character or family comes from.

Check the spelling

Dela Cruz, De la Cruz and Delacruz are all in use, and some families respelled C as K in the late 1800s, as in Catigbag to Katigbak. Ask how a family writes its name.

Remember the middle name

Filipinos usually carry the mother's maiden surname as a middle name and the father's surname last. A full name has three parts, so test them together.

Mix origins for characters

A Manila story can pair a Spanish first name with a Tagalog surname like Matatag or a Chinese Filipino surname like Uy. That blend is true to the country.

Filipino last names: 173 ideas from Nomezo

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Filipino last names: the most common ones, how the 1849 catalog handed them out, and the Chinese surnames that count grandchildren

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 25, 2026 · How we research names

Dela Cruz is the most common surname in the Philippines, borne by about 1 in 162 people in 2014 estimates. Like most of the top ten, it is Spanish, because an 1849 decree had families choose fixed surnames from an official catalog.

A Spanish surname does not by itself mean Spanish ancestry, and some Chinese Filipino surnames record a grandchild's birth order. The finder above narrows the names by section, length or first letter, and the tags show each surname's US rank.

  1. Step 1Start with the most commonDela Cruz, Garcia and Reyes lead.
  2. Step 2Pick a languageSpanish, Tagalog, Kapampangan or Hokkien.
  3. Step 3Know where it came fromThe 1849 catalog, or a grandchild's rank.
  4. Step 4Build the full nameThe mother's surname goes in the middle.

The most common surnames in the Philippines

Most common Philippine surnames, 2014 estimates, and their US rank in 2020
SurnamePeople in the PhilippinesUS rank, 2020
Dela Cruz625,640 (1 in 162)#417, as De la Cruz
Garcia441,075#6
Reyes412,750#56
Ramos375,999#74
Mendoza372,042#88
Santos342,746#190
Flores312,187#39
Gonzales293,787#114
Bautista287,625#554
Villanueva277,730#532

Sources: 2014 estimates as tabled by Wikipedia, not an official count; US Census Bureau, 2020. Most of these names are shared with Hispanic families in the US. Tan, 37th in the Philippines, is the top Chinese Filipino surname in that table.

How the 1849 catalog handed out surnames

  • The decree. On November 21, 1849, Governor-General Narciso Clavería ordered fixed surnames and sent out the Catálogo alfabético de apellidos, with about 61,000 surnames (Wikipedia).
  • One family per town. Parish priests received a set number of surnames by population, and each surname went to only one family in a municipality; names starting with A went to provincial capitals, B to secondary towns and C to smaller ones (Wikipedia).
  • Who kept their name. Families already using an allowed surname kept it, and a family could keep an otherwise barred one by proving four generations of use (Wikipedia).

Chinese Filipino surnames that count grandchildren

Hokkien grandchild surnames
SurnameCharactersMeaning
Tuason大孫Eldest grandchild
Dizon二孫Second grandchild
Sanson or Samson三孫Third grandchild
Sison四孫Fourth grandchild
Gozon五孫Fifth grandchild
Lacson六孫Sixth grandchild

Source: Wikipedia: Filipino name. Sources disagree on the seventh to ninth: Wikipedia gives Tecson, Sioson and Hizon, while Wiktionary gives Sitchon, Pueson and Causon. Families whose ancestors arrived from 1898 on usually kept one-syllable surnames like Tan, Lim and Sy.

Middle names and the law

  • The middle name is the mother's. A Filipino's middle name is usually the mother's maiden surname, and the father's surname comes last (Wikipedia).
  • Children of unmarried parents. Under Republic Act 9255 of 2004, they use the mother's surname but may use the father's if he has expressly recognized the child (RA 9255).

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common Filipino last name?

Dela Cruz, meaning of the cross, is usually ranked as the most common Filipino surname. Garcia, Reyes, Ramos, Mendoza and Santos follow close behind, and all of them are Spanish.

Why do Filipinos have Spanish last names?

On November 21, 1849, Governor-General Narciso Clavería ordered Filipinos to adopt fixed surnames for census and tax records. Officials distributed the Catálogo alfabético de apellidos, a book of Spanish and native surnames, and families without a surname chose one from it.

What are Tagalog last names?

Tagalog last names come from native words, such as Maligaya (happy), Liwanag (light), Manalo (to win) and Dimaculangan (cannot be found wanting). Many sit in the 1849 catalog beside Spanish names and are most common in Batangas and nearby provinces.

What are Chinese Filipino last names?

Families who arrived after Spanish rule ended in 1898 usually kept short Hokkien surnames like Tan, Lim, Sy, Uy and Go. Earlier arrivals often turned an ancestor's full name into one Hispanized surname, such as Cojuangco, or used a word for grandchild, such as Lacson (sixth grandchild).

How do Filipino names and surnames work?

A Filipino full name usually has a given name, the mother's maiden surname as a middle name and the father's surname last. Emilio Famy Aguinaldo, for example, carried his mother's surname in the middle, a custom adapted from the Spanish two-surname system.

Does a Spanish surname mean Spanish ancestry?

Not by itself. After the 1849 decree, most Filipino families chose a surname from an official catalog of Spanish and native names, so a name like Garcia or Reyes usually says more about that decree than about a Spanish ancestor.

What surname does a child of unmarried parents use in the Philippines?

The mother's surname. Under Republic Act 9255 of 2004, the child may use the father's surname instead if the father has expressly recognized the child, for example in the birth record.

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