120+ Filipino Last Names and Their Meanings
Filipino surnames tell a layered story. Many are Spanish words, a legacy of the colonial period, while others come from native languages, Chinese roots and the national heroes people still remember.
Below are well-known Filipino last names sorted by origin, with meanings given only where they are well established. Use them for family research, fiction or plain curiosity.
Table of Contents
Most Common Filipino Last Names
Surnames found in nearly every province.
- Santos – Spanish for "saints"
- Reyes – Spanish for "kings"
- Cruz – Spanish for "cross"
- Bautista – Spanish for "baptist"
- Ocampo – from "campo", meaning field
- Garcia – a very widespread Spanish surname
- Mendoza – Spanish, from the Basque region
- Torres – Spanish for "towers"
- Flores – Spanish for "flowers"
- Aquino – from the Italian town of Aquino
- Ramos – Spanish for "branches"
- Gonzales – Spanish surname from Gonzalo
- Villanueva – Spanish for "new town"
- Rivera – Spanish for "riverbank"
- Castillo – Spanish for "castle"
- Fernandez – Spanish, "son of Fernando"
- Lopez – Spanish, "son of Lope"
- Domingo – Spanish for "Sunday"
- Dela Cruz – Spanish for "of the cross"
- Del Rosario – Spanish for "of the rosary"
- Pascual – Spanish, from Easter
- Mercado – Spanish for "market"
- Navarro – from the Navarre region
- Aguilar – Spanish, tied to the word for eagle
- Salvador – Spanish for "saviour"
- Perez – Spanish, "son of Pedro"
- Rodriguez – Spanish, "son of Rodrigo"
- Martinez – Spanish, "son of Martin"
- Hernandez – Spanish, "son of Hernando"
- Sanchez – Spanish, "son of Sancho"
Filipino Last Names From Saints and Religion
Faith left its mark on the surname list.
- De los Santos – Spanish for "of the saints"
- San Jose – Saint Joseph
- San Pedro – Saint Peter
- San Juan – Saint John
- Santiago – Saint James
- Santa Maria – Holy Mary
- Natividad – Spanish for "nativity"
- Concepcion – Spanish for "conception"
- Trinidad – Spanish for "trinity"
- Soriano – Spanish surname with long roots
- Rosario – Spanish for "rosary"
- Ascension – Spanish for "ascension"
- Dolores – Spanish for "sorrows"
- Esperanza – Spanish for "hope"
- Pilar – Spanish for "pillar"
- Encarnacion – Spanish for "incarnation"
- Resurreccion – Spanish for "resurrection"
- Pasion – Spanish for "passion"
- Dela Paz – Spanish for "of peace"
- Angeles – Spanish for "angels"
- Cristobal – Spanish form of Christopher
- Evangelista – Spanish for "evangelist"
- Guevarra – Spanish surname of Basque origin
- Espiritu – Spanish for "spirit"
- Milagros – Spanish for "miracles"
Filipino Last Names From Nature and Places
Surnames built on Spanish words for the land.
- Montes – Spanish for "mountains"
- Del Mundo – Spanish for "of the world"
- Del Valle – Spanish for "of the valley"
- Rios – Spanish for "rivers"
- Dela Rosa – Spanish for "of the rose"
- Luna – Spanish for "moon"
- Estrella – Spanish for "star"
- Sol – Spanish for "sun"
- Palma – Spanish for "palm"
- Rosales – Spanish for "rose gardens"
- Olivares – Spanish for "olive groves"
- Valencia – Spanish city and region
- Salazar – Basque-Spanish surname
- Corpuz – from Latin "corpus", body
- Jardin – Spanish for "garden"
- Villa – Spanish for "town"
- Del Mar – Spanish for "of the sea"
- Plaza – Spanish for "town square"
- Costa – Spanish for "coast"
- Delos Reyes – Spanish for "of the kings"
- Prado – Spanish for "meadow"
- Roca – Spanish for "rock"
- Cerezo – Spanish for "cherry tree"
- Laurel – Spanish for "laurel tree"
- Nieves – Spanish for "snows"
Native and Filipino-Language Surnames
Surnames rooted in Tagalog, Ilocano, Cebuano and other languages.
- Magsaysay – surname of President Ramon Magsaysay
- Macapagal – Kapampangan surname of President Diosdado Macapagal
- Mabini – surname of hero Apolinario Mabini
- Bayani – Tagalog word for "hero"
- Dalisay – Tagalog for "pure"
- Mahal – Tagalog for "beloved" or "dear"
- Malaya – Tagalog for "free"
- Lualhati – Tagalog for "glory"
- Maganda – Tagalog for "beautiful"
- Matapang – Tagalog for "brave"
Filipino Last Names From Chinese Roots
Surnames from the long trade history between the islands and China.
- Tan – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Lim – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Sy – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Uy – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Go – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Chua – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Ong – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Ang – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Lee – widespread Chinese surname
- Yap – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Dy – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Co – Hokkien-rooted surname
- Yu – Chinese surname meaning varies
- Gan – Hokkien surname
- Teo – Hokkien surname
- Cua – spelling of a Hokkien surname
- Ko – Chinese surname
- Lao – Chinese surname
- Lu – Chinese surname
- Wong – Cantonese surname
Famous Filipino Surnames
Names tied to history that most Filipinos know.
- Rizal – national hero José Rizal
- Aguinaldo – first president, Emilio Aguinaldo
- Bonifacio – revolutionary Andrés Bonifacio
- Quezon – President Manuel Quezon
- Osmeña – President Sergio Osmeña
- Roxas – President Manuel Roxas
- Marcos – Ferdinand Marcos
- Duterte – Rodrigo Duterte
- Estrada – President Joseph Estrada
- Del Pilar – revolutionary Marcelo del Pilar
- Jacinto – Emilio Jacinto of the Katipunan
- Gomez – priest Mariano Gomez of Gomburza
- Burgos – priest José Burgos of Gomburza
- Zamora – priest Jacinto Zamora of Gomburza
- Silang – Diego Silang of Ilocos
How to Research a Filipino Surname
A last name can lead you to a region, a language or an ancestor. Five steps help.
1. Know the 1849 decree
In 1849 a Spanish colonial decree distributed surnames from a catalogue to Filipino families. This is why many families in one town share a surname.
2. Check the language
A Spanish surname often means a Spanish word, but a Tagalog or Ilocano one is more likely to point to a region.
3. Look at the spelling
Spellings changed between records. Gonzales and Gonzalez, or or Fernandez and Fernandes, often point to the same family.
4. Use civil and church records
Baptism, marriage and civil registry records are the standard sources for tracing Filipino families.
5. Ask relatives
Older family members often know a village, a nickname or a grandparent's old surname that records miss.
FAQs
Why do so many Filipinos have Spanish surnames?
In 1849 the colonial government issued a list of surnames, mostly Spanish, and assigned them across towns to make records easier to keep.
What is the most common Filipino last name?
Surveys list Santos, Reyes, Cruz, Bautista and Garcia among the most common, but rankings vary by source and region.
Are all Filipino last names Spanish?
No. Many are Spanish, but others come from Tagalog and other native languages, and from Chinese families who settled in the islands.
Conclusion: Filipino Last Names
A Filipino surname carries history in a few syllables. Use the list as a starting point for family research or a character, and confirm any meaning in a reliable record before you rely on it.