20+ Popular Filipino Last Names

Whenever we talk about Filipino last names, what usually comes to mind are the popular Spanish-based surnames like Santos, Cruz, and Reyes. But since the Philippines’ history shows that many other countries have conquered it, there is no surprise why some existing clan names have originated from its previous colonizers. For instance, it is also common to hear Chinese, Portuguese, and Italian-sounding names. If you’d like to learn more about these, then you’ve come to the right place! 

10 Filipino Last Names Of Spanish Origin

While there is no denying that most Filipino names are derived from Spanish and can be found on the Catálogo Alfabético de Apellidos. On the flip side, newer variations of the name have been “Filipinized”, which means that some of the letters may have changed or are even misspelled. To learn more about the Spanish surnames that the locals have used, check out the table below.

Aside from all those, let us just clarify that the most common surname based on the 2016 report of the Philippine Statistics is Valencia and it refers to the Spanish word meaning valor, vitality, and health.

10 Filipino Last Names Of Chinese Origin

Since different cultures can be found in the country, you might be surprised by how many families in the Philippines make use of surnames of Chinese origin.

10 Common Filipino Last Names

Now that we know the most common surnames in Spanish and Chinese let us now draw our attention to the 100% Tagalog surnames. As we have discussed before, most surnames in Tagalog are based on a specific characteristic of a Filipino person. With this being said, it is not uncommon to hear surnames starting with “dima” like the following:

• Dimaandal (meaning the person cannot be shoved)
• Dimasalang (meaning that the person is untouchable)
• Dimatibag (which means that the person cannot be harmed)
• Dimayuga (which manes cannot be shaken)
• Dimakulangan (which means that the person is never lacking)

Odd as it may be, these Filipino surnames have been passed down by their ancestors, and you’d be surprised that there are literally streets and towns named after these last names.

Other Popular Filipino Surnames

Now that we know the traditional Filipino surnames, we hope that you are able to show the world now that you know all the meanings behind almost every last name of Filipinos! But if you think that that is all the surnames we have for you today, we also have listed below many surnames that are also used in the country.

As we reach this part of the post, we hope that you were able to find the meanings behind the family names in the Philippines. Which of these Filipino last names is your favorite? Let us know in the comment section down below!

Also, suppose you are interested in getting to know more about the rich culture, traditions, and language of the Filipinos. In that case, we highly recommend that you download the Ling app now on your phone and start learning the Tagalog language.

How Do You Say Last Name In Tagalog?

The Tagalog translation for last name is apelyido. Play

Practice These Sentences About Filipino Last Names

English	Tagalog	Sound
What is your last name/surname?	Ano ang apelyido mo?	Play
I don’t know anyone whose last name is Dela Cruz	Hindi ko kilala ang may apelyidong Dela Cruz	Play
The last name of her soon-to-be-husband is Calinao	Ang apelyido ng mapapangasawa niya ay Calinao	Play
Did you hear the last name of the new priest?	Narinig mo ba ang apelyido ng bagong pari?	Play
My last name is Bautista	Ang apelyido ko ay Bautista	[SpeechAng apelyido ko ay Bautista[/Speechword]

Learning your friend’s Filipino last name can be very helpful. It may even help you practice speaking hard to pronounce Tagalog words.

Frequently Asked Questions About Filipino Last Names

What Are The Most Rare Filipino Surnames?

Some of the most rare Filipino surnames are Palpalatoc, Tatlong-hari, Argente, Duhaylungsod, and Nario. Even, elegant surnames from famous people like De Ayala, Ponce, and Conjuangco are rare since these last names come from the old-rich Spanish-Filipino families.

Why Do Filipinos Use Two Last Names?

Filipinos have two last names because of the Spanish-mandated practice of including both their father’s (paternal) and their mother’s (maternal) last names. However, in legal terms, Filipinos follow the First Name—middle name—last Name format for naming their children. These are not two last names but only one where the Maternal last name becomes the Middle name.

Recently, married women have adopted the style of including their maiden name and their married name in their last names. It was a practice in several countries like the USA, Australia, and UK.

Why Do Filipino People Put a Jr. In Their Last Names?

Having a suffix at the end of a Philippine surname is common and is also legal in written and spoken forms. Someone with a “Jr.” in their last name means that they also have the same first name as their father.

Wrapping Up

We have discussed in our previous post about the most common Tagalog names, there are different bases when it comes to earning your name back in the day. Prior to the prevalence of the Spanish culture in the Philippines, names are usually based on personal characteristics and physical traits. For this reason, there are first names in Filipino in the traditional family tree that sounds a bit odd. When the Spaniards came, and the Philippines became a major trade route, several families started adopting different last names.

While not many history books recognize this fact, there are few anecdotes that state that some of the Spanish surnames then were simply given by the government and were based on everyday words, indigenous terms, and a few derogatory remarks. In fact, there used to be surnames like asuang, ungu, and ungu, which all mean “monster” in the Tagalog language.