List of Philippine city name etymologies
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| Cities and municipalities of the Philippines |
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The more than 140 cities in the Philippines as of 2022 have taken their names from a variety of languages both indigenous (Austronesian) and foreign (mostly Spanish). The majority of Philippine cities derive their names from the major regional languages where they are spoken including Tagalog (Filipino), Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Bicolano, Kapampangan and Pangasinense. They are written using Spanish orthography in most cases, but a few have also retained their indigenous spellings. The names of thirty-nine cities derive exclusively from the Spanish language while at least three have taken their names from the old Sanskrit language.
Of the 149 cities, sixteen are named in honor of an individual while twelve are named after
saints
.
City names
| City name | Province | Name origin |
|---|---|---|
| Alaminos | Pangasinan | Juan Alaminos y Vivar, Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines. |
Angeles |
none | a contraction of its original Angels ."
|
Antipolo |
Rizal | Hispanicized form of the Tagalog phrase ang tipolo which means "the breadfruit", the tree that grew abundantly in the area. |
Bacolod |
none | Hispanicized form of bakolod, an old Hiligaynon word for "hill" in reference to the hilly area in the city that is now the barangay of Granada. |
| Bacoor | Cavite | Hispanicized form of bacood, derived from the Tagalog word which means "fence."[1] |
| Bago | Negros Occidental | from bago-bago, a local shrub. |
Baguio |
none | Ibaloi word bagiw which means "moss."
|
| Bais | Negros Oriental | Cebuano for "large, edible fresh-water eel." |
| Balanga | Bataan | Pampango for "clay pot."
|
| Baliwag | Bulacan | Old Kapampangan word for "untouched." |
Batac |
Ilocos Norte | Multiple origins, however, it was believed that the place gets its name from batak, an Ilocano word which means "pull", in reference to pulling efforts together or the assistance given to another who is in need of help. Hence, the name must have been derived from the common trait of the people who are ever ready to extend a helping hand to anybody.[2] |
Batangas |
Batangas | from batang, Tagalog for "log", in reference to the trunks of logged trees that used to be floated down the Calumpang River which runs through the city. |
Bayawan |
Negros Oriental | from bayaw, a Cebuano word which means "to hoist" or "to elevate."[3] |
| Baybay | Leyte | Cebuano word for "shore."[4] |
| Bayugan | Agusan del Sur | Manobo word for "pathway" or from bayug, the local name for bayur tree.[5] |
| Biñan | Laguna | Hispanicized corruption of binyagan, Tagalog for "baptismal place." |
Bislig |
Surigao del Sur | from bizlin, an ancient gold currency. |
| Bogo | Cebu | from bogo, an incense tree.[6] |
| Borongan | Eastern Samar | from borong, a Waray word for "fog", referring to the heavy fog that once covered the place.[7] |
| Butuan | none | from Visayan sour fruit.
|
| Cabadbaran | Agusan del Norte | from badbad, a Cebuano word which means "to untie."[8] |
Cabanatuan |
Nueva Ecija | from banatu, a sturdy vine that grew along the swampy banks of Rio Grande de Pampanga.[9]
|
Cabuyao |
Laguna | from cabuyao, common name for Citrus macroptera, a species of wild orange |
| Cadiz | Negros Occidental | the Spanish city of Cádiz.[10] |
Cagayan de Oro |
none | Cagayan, the Philippine province in northern Luzon, and the Spanish phrase de oro which means "of gold." |
| Calaca | Batangas | from the roofs of the houses made of bamboos halves arranged over top of one another. |
| Calamba | Laguna | Hispanicized corruption of kalan-bangá, Tagalog for "clay stove." |
Calapan |
Mindoro Oriental |
Hispanicized form of the old Tagalog word kalapang which means "branch."[11] |
Calbayog |
Samar | from bayog, a Visayan name for the Pterospermum diversifolium tree that grew in abundance in the city.[12]
|
| Caloocan | none | Hispanicized form of the Tagalog root word lo-ok; kalook-lookan (or kaloob-looban) which means "innermost area." |
Candon |
Ilocos Sur | the Ilocano sandalwood tree believed to be extinct.
|
Canlaon |
Negros Oriental | Kanlaon Volcano .
|
Carcar |
Cebu | the Spanish municipality of Cárcar.[13] |
| Carmona | Cavite | the Spanish municipality of Carmona. |
| Catbalogan | Samar | from balaug, a type of shrub that used to thrive along the seashore and mouth of the Antiao River.[14] |
| Cauayan | Isabela | Hispanicized form of kawayan, Tagalog for "bamboo." |
| Cavite City | Cavite | Hispanicized form of kawit or corruption of kalawit, Tagalog words for "hook", in reference to the small hook-shaped peninsula jutting into Manila Bay. |
| Cebu City | none | Hispanicized corruption of sugbu, Cebuano for "to walk on shallow waters", referring to the shallows through which one had to wade in order to reach dry land from the port of the city. |
| Cotabato City | none | Hispanicized form of kuta wato, Maguindanao (from Malay "Kota Batu") for "stone fort." |
Dagupan |
none | from pandaragupan, a Pangasinense word which means "gathering place", due to the city's history as a market town.[15] |
| Danao | Cebu | Hispanicized form of danawan, a Cebuano word for "small lake."[16] |
Dapitan |
Zamboanga del Norte | from dapit, Cebuano for "to invite."[17] |
| Dasmariñas | Cavite | Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, the seventh Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines. |
| Davao City | none | Guiangan name for the Davao River .
|
Digos |
Davao del Sur | Lumad word which means "to take a bath" in reference to the Digos River.
|
Dipolog |
Zamboanga del Norte | from dipag, Subanon for "across the river."
|
Dumaguete |
Negros Oriental | from dagit, a Cebuano word which means "to snatch", in reference to the frequent marauding attacks of pirates in the past and the city's power to charm and keep tourists and visitors. |
| El Salvador | Misamis Oriental | Spanish for "The Saviour."[18] |
| Escalante | Negros Occidental | the Escalante.[19]
|
Gapan |
Nueva Ecija | from gapang, a Tagalog word which means "crawl." |
General Santos |
none | Commanding General of the Philippine Army .
|
| General Trias | Cavite | Mariano Trías, Filipino revolutionary and politician. |
Gingoog |
Misamis Oriental | Hispanicized form of hingoog, a Manobo word which means "good luck." |
| Guihulngan | Negros Oriental | from guihulugan, Cebuano for "a place where something was dropped."[20] |
Himamaylan |
Negros Occidental | from hima babaylan, a Hiligaynon phrase which means "foot doctor." |
| Ilagan | none | The reverse of the Gaddang word nagali which means "transferred." |
Iligan |
none | Higaonon for "fortress".
|
| Iloilo City | none | Hispanicized corruption of irong-irong, Hiligaynon for "nose-like", referring to the shape of the delta formed by what are now the Iloilo and Salog Rivers. |
| Imus | Cavite | Old Tagalog word for "a piece of land cutting into the junction of two rivers." |
Iriga |
Camarines Sur | from i raga, a Bicolano phrase which means "there is land."
|
| Isabela | Basilan | Queen of Spain .
|
Kabankalan |
Negros Occidental | from bangkal , a Philippine Leichhard tree.
|
Kidapawan |
Cotabato | from tida pawan, a Manobo phrase which means "highland spring". |
Koronadal |
South Cotabato | from koron nadal, a B'laan phrase which means "grass plain."
|
| La Carlota | Negros Occidental | the Spanish municipality of La Carlota. |
| Lamitan | Basilan | from lami-lamihan, a Yakan word which means "merry-making."[21] |
Laoag |
Ilocos Norte | Ilocano for "light or clarity."
|
Lapu-Lapu |
none | Lapulapu, the ancient ruler of Mactan. |
| Las Piñas | none | Spanish for "The Pineapples"; the city's old name however is "Las Peñas" meaning "The Rocks".[22] |
| Legazpi | Albay | Miguel López de Legazpi, the first Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines. |
Ligao |
Albay | from ticao, a Bicolano word for a tree with poisonous leaves.
|
| Lipa | Batangas | from lipa, a Philippine linden tree. |
Lucena |
none | The Spanish municipality of Lucena.[23] |
Maasin |
Southern Leyte | Cebuano for "salty." |
| Mabalacat | Pampanga | from balakat, a species of tree endemic to the Philippines.[24]
|
| Makati | none | from kumakati, Tagalog for "ebbing tide"; shortened and Filipinized form of its original Spanish name "San Pedro de Macati." |
| Malabon | none | from tambobong, which denotes a place full of labóng (bamboo shoots) |
Malaybalay |
Bukidnon | from a Malays ".
|
Malolos |
Bulacan | from paluslos, a Kapampangan word which means "downstream" in relation to the Calumpit River. |
| Mandaluyong | none | from daluyong, Tagalog for "big waves from the sea"; the city's original name was San Felipe Neri. |
Mandaue |
Cebu | Hispanicized form of mantawi, a Cebuano variety of vine.[25] |
| Manila | none | Hispanicized corruption of the Tagalog-Sanskrit phrase may nila which means "there is nila" (indigo tree in Sanskrit) referring to the prevalence of the tree. |
Marawi |
Lanao del Sur | from rawi, a Maranao word which means "reclining" in reference to the lilies that bend northward on the banks of the mouth of the Agus River .
|
| Marikina | none | Félix Berenguer de Marquina, the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines. |
Masbate |
Masbate | Bicolano for "to meet along the way", referring to the strategic position of the city within Philippine maritime trade routes.
|
| Mati | Davao Oriental | from maa-ti, a Mandaya word which means to "dry quickly", referring to the Mati Creek which dries up quickly even after a heavy rain.[26] |
Meycauayan |
Bulacan | Hispanicized form of the Tagalog phrase may kawayan meaning "a place full of bamboos." |
| Muntinlupa | none | Muntíng lupà, Tagalog for "small land." |
| Muñoz | Nueva Ecija | Francisco Muñoz, Spanish politician and former gobernadorcillo of Nueva Ecija.[27] |
| Naga | Camarines Sur | Bicolano for narra , a type of rosewood tree.
|
| Naga | Cebu | narra tree.
|
| Navotas | none | Hispanicized form of the Tagalog word nabutas which means "breached" or "pierced through" in reference to the formation of the Navotas River. |
Olongapo |
none | Zambal phrase which means "head of the elder."
|
Ormoc |
none | Hispanicized corruption of ogmok, a Cebuano word which means "lowland" or "plain." |
Oroquieta |
Misamis Occidental | the barrio of Oroquieta in the district of Villaverde in Madrid, Spain. |
Ozamiz |
Misamis Occidental | Filipino politician from Mindanao .
|
Pagadian |
Zamboanga del Sur | from padian, an Iranun word for "market."
|
Palayan |
Nueva Ecija | Tagalog for "rice field." |
Panabo |
Davao del Norte | from taboan, a Cebuano word which means "marketplace." |
| Parañaque | none | Hispanicized corruption of Palanyag, the old Tagalog name of the Parañaque River. |
| Pasay | none | Dayang-dayang Pasay, a Namayan princess. The city's old name was Pineda, after Spanish horticulturist Cornelio Pineda. |
| Pasig | none | an archaic Tagalog word referring to the shore. Compare "dalampasigan", "pasigan", or Malay "pasir" ("sand") |
| Passi | Iloilo | from passis, a Kinaray-a word which means "unhusked rice."
|
Puerto Princesa |
none | a contraction of its original Spanish name Puerto de la Princesa which means "Port of the Princess" named after Princess Eulalia of Spain.[28] |
| Quezon City | none | Manuel Luis Quezon, the second president of the Philippines .
|
Roxas |
Capiz | Manuel Acuña Roxas, the fifth president of the Philippines .
|
| Sagay | Negros Occidental | from sigay, a Hiligaynon word for "shell." |
| Samal | Davao del Norte | Sama , an indigenous ethnic group in Mindanao.
|
| San Carlos | Negros Occidental | Saint Charles Borromeo. |
| San Carlos | Pangasinan | named after Charles III of Spain, who ordered Spanish forces to raze the town of Binalatongan (its former name) to the ground. |
| San Fernando | La Union | King of Spain .
|
| San Fernando | Pampanga | King of Spain .
|
| San Jose | Nueva Ecija | Saint Joseph |
San Jose del Monte |
Bulacan | Saint Joseph of the Mountain. |
| San Juan | none | Saint John the Baptist; the city's longer official name is San Juan del Monte, Spanish for "Saint John of the Mountain."
|
| San Pablo | Laguna | Saint Paul the First Hermit. |
| San Pedro | Laguna | Saint Peter, the Apostle |
| Santa Rosa | Laguna | Saint Rose of Lima. |
| Santiago | none | Saint James the Apostle .
|
| Santo Tomas | Batangas | Saint Thomas Aquinas |
Silay |
Negros Occidental | from kansilay , a local Philippine tree.
|
Sipalay |
Negros Occidental | Suludnon for "there is rice"[29]
|
| Sorsogon City | Sorsogon | Bicolano verb meaning "to continuously follow a course, such as a trail or a river."
|
Surigao |
Surigao del Norte | Hispanicized corruption of suligan, a Manobo word for "where there is sulig", a species of fish. |
Tabaco |
Albay | from tabak ko, Bikol for "bolo" |
| Tabuk | Kalinga | from tobog, Ilocano for "living stream."[30] |
Tacloban |
none | Waray-Waray word which means "to catch fish."
|
Tacurong |
Sultan Kudarat | Hispanicized corruption of talakudong, a Maguindanao word which means a traditional "head covering" or "hat." |
Tagaytay |
Cavite | Tagalog for "ridge". |
Tagbilaran |
Bohol | from tagubilaan, a Boholano phrase which means "to hide from the Moros."[31]
|
| Taguig | none | Hispanicized form of the Tagalog word taga-giik meaning "rice thresher." |
Tagum |
Davao del Norte | from magugpo, a Mandaya word which means "tall tree."
|
| Talisay | Cebu | from Visayan variety of Indian almond tree.
|
| Talisay | Negros Occidental | from Visayan variety of Indian almond tree.
|
| Tanauan | Batangas | Hispanicized form of the Tagalog word tanawan which means "vista" or "view." |
| Tandag | Surigao del Sur | from tangad, Cebuano for lemongrass. |
Tangub |
Misamis Occidental | from tangkob, a Subanon word which means "rice basket."[32]
|
Tanjay |
Negros Oriental | Hispanicized corruption of taytay, a Cebuano word which means "bamboo bridge."[33] |
| Tarlac City | Tarlac | Zambal for lemongrass).
|
Tayabas |
Quezon | from bayabas, a Tagalog word for the "guava" fruit.[34] |
| Toledo | Cebu | the Spanish city of Toledo. |
| Trece Martires | Cavite | Spanish for "thirteen martyrs." The city was named in honor of the Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite. |
Tuguegarao |
Cagayan | Hispanicized form of the Ibanag phrase tuggui gari yaw meaning "this used to be fire." |
| Urdaneta | Pangasinan | Andrés de Urdaneta, Spanish friar, circumnavigator and explorer. |
| Valencia | Bukidnon | Named by the first local Barrio school teacher in the village, who hailed from Valencia, Bohol. |
Valenzuela |
none | Filipino patriot.
|
Victorias |
Negros Occidental | from Nuestra Señora de las Victorias, Spanish for "Our Lady of Victories". |
Vigan |
Ilocos Sur | Hokkien for "beautiful shore".
|
| Zamboanga City | none | Sinama for "anchorage", or literally, "place of mooring poles", referring to the settlement and port town at the southern tip of Mindanao's western peninsula.
|
See also
- List of Philippine provincial name etymologies
References
- ^ "History Background of Bacoor". bacoor.gov.ph. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
- ^ "Brief Historical Background". batac.gov.ph. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
- ^ Cultural Heritage Archived June 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine City Government of Bayawan. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ "Baybay: beach, heritage and adventure". BusinessWorld. January 29, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "City of Bayugan". Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "City Profile". City Government of Bogo. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "Borongan". Provincial Government of Eastern Samar. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "History". Provincial Government of Agusan del Norte. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Our History City Government of Cabanatuan. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ Brief History Archived February 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine City Government of Cadiz. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ General Information Archived February 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine City Government of Calapan. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ Calbayog Archived July 24, 2012, at archive.today City Government of Calbayog. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ "Carcar Heritage City". The Manila Times. May 2, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "Local Heritage". City Government of Catbalogan. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ History Part I – Spanish Rule Archived April 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Dagupan.com. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ Danao City Brief History Archived May 14, 2003, at archive.today Retrieved April 21, 2012.
- ^ Dapitan History Dapitan.com. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ "History of El Salvador". City Government of El Salvador. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Escalante City History Negros Occidental Provincial Government. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ "City Government". City Government of Guihulngan. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "Lamitan comes out of the shadows". The Philippine Star. June 24, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ History LasPinas.com. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ About Lucena Archived May 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Quezon Provincial Government. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ "Municipality of Mabalacat". Provincial Government of Pampanga. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ History of Mandaue City Archived January 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine City Government of Mandaue. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
- ^ "The Town History of Mati". City Government of Mati. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ All About Science City of Muñoz City Government of Muñoz. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ History of Puerto Princesa Puerto Princesa Resorts. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ About City of Sipalay Archived March 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine City Government of Sipalay. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ Espiritu, E.V. (January 4, 2015). "Remote, fledgling city marshals resources to build hotel industry". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Tagbilaran City General Info Archived September 13, 2012, at archive.today City Government of Tagbilaran. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
- ^ City of Tangub History Archived May 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine City Government of Tangub. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ Tanjay History Retraced Timoteo S. Oracion. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ Tayabas Brief History Archived September 3, 2012, at archive.today ExploreQuezon.com. Retrieved April 23, 2012.