List of Philippine city name etymologies

The more than 140 cities in the Philippines as of 2019 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 146 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 Spanish name El Pueblo de los Angeles which means "The Town of Angels."
Antipolo	Rizal	Hispanicized form of the Tagalog phrase ang tipolo which means "the breadfruit" in reference to the tree that grew abundantly in the city.
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	Hispanicized corruption of the Ibaloi word bagiw which means "moss."
Bais	Negros Oriental	Cebuano for "large, edible fresh-water eel."
Balanga	Bataan	Pampango for "clay pot."
Batac	Ilocos Norte	Multiple origins, however, it was believe that the place gets it 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 used to cover the place.[7]
Butuan	none	from batuan, a 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."
Calamba	Laguna	Hispanicized corruption of kalan-banga, 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 word 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 Spanish municipality of Candón in Huelva, Andalucia; or the kandung, an Ilocano sandalwood tree believed to be extinct.
Canlaon	Negros Oriental	Kanlaon Volcano.
Carcar	Cebu	the Spanish municipality of Cárcar.[13]
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 center.[15]
Danao	Cebu	Hispanicized form of danawan, a Cebuano word for "small lake."[16]
Dapitan	Zamboanga del Norte	Cebuano for "to invite."[17]
Dasmariñas	Cavite	Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, the seventh Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines.
Davao City	none	Hispanicized form of dawaw, a Guiangan name for the Davao River.
Digos	Davao del Sur	Hispanicized corruption of padigus, a 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 Savior."[18]
Escalante	Negros Occidental	the Spanish municipality of Escalante.[19]
Gapan	Nueva Ecija	from gapang, a Tagalog word which means "crawl."
General Santos	none	Paulino Santos, Filipino 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 called 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	Isabella II, 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	Lapu-Lapu, 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 labong (bamboo shoots)
Malaybalay	Bukidnon	from a Cebuano phrase which means "house of the Malays".
Malolos	Bulacan	from paluslos, a Kapampangan word which means "downstream" in reference to the Calumpit River.
Mandaluyong	none	from daluyong, Tagalog for "big waves from the sea"; the city's original name is 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	Hispanicized corruption of masabat, 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	munting lupa, Tagalog for "small land."
Muñoz	Nueva Ecija	Francisco Muñoz, Spanish politician and former gobernadorcillo of Nueva Ecija.[27]
Naga	none	Bicolano for narra, a type of rosewood tree.
Naga	Cebu	Cebuano for the 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	Hispanicized corruption of olo nin apo, a 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	José Ozámiz, a 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 is Pineda, after Spanish horticulturist Cornelio Pineda.
Pasig	none	from pasi, a Sanskrit word meaning "riverbank."
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 the Spanish rulers to raze the town of Binalatongan (its former name) to the ground.
San Fernando	La Union	Saint Ferdinand, King of Spain.
San Fernando	Pampanga	Saint Ferdinand, 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	Hispanicized form of sogsogon, a 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	Spanish for "tobacco."
Tabuk	Kalinga	from tobog, Ilocano for "living stream."[30]
Tacloban	none	Hispanicized corruption of tarakluban, a 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 talisay, a Visayan variety of Indian almond tree.
Talisay	Negros Occidental	from talisay, a 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	Hispanicized rendering of tarlak, Aeta term for a certain grass related to talahib (cogon) and tanglar (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	Pío Valenzuela, a Filipino patriot.
Victorias	Negros Occidental	from Nuestra Señora de las Victorias, Spanish for "Our Lady of Victories".
Vigan	Ilocos Sur	Hispanicization of bî-gán (美岸), Hokkien for "beautiful shore".
Zamboanga City	none	Hispanicized form of samboangan, 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

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2. "Brief Historical Background". batac.gov.ph. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
3. Cultural Heritage Archived June 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine City Government of Bayawan. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
4. "Baybay: beach, heritage and adventure". BusinessWorld. January 29, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
5. "City of Bayugan". Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
6. "City Profile". City Government of Bogo. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
7. "Borongan". Provincial Government of Eastern Samar. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
8. "History". Provincial Government of Agusan del Norte. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
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14. "Local Heritage". City Government of Catbalogan. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
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18. "History of El Salvador". City Government of El Salvador. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
19. Escalante City History Negros Occidental Provincial Government. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
20. "City Government". City Government of Guihulngan. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
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22. History LasPinas.com. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
23. About Lucena Archived May 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Quezon Provincial Government. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
24. "Municipality of Mabalacat". Provincial Government of Pampanga. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
25. History of Mandaue City Archived January 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine City Government of Mandaue. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
26. "The Town History of Mati". City Government of Mati. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
27. All About Science City of Muñoz City Government of Muñoz. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
28. History of Puerto Princesa Puerto Princesa Resorts. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
29. About City of Sipalay Archived March 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine City Government of Sipalay. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
30. Espiritu, E.V. (January 4, 2015). "Remote, fledgling city marshals resources to build hotel industry". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
31. Tagbilaran City General Info Archived September 13, 2012, at Archive.today City Government of Tagbilaran. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
32. City of Tangub History Archived May 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine City Government of Tangub. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
33. Tanjay History Retraced Timoteo S. Oracion. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
34. Tayabas Brief History Archived September 3, 2012, at Archive.today ExploreQuezon.com. Retrieved April 23, 2012.