Filipino American names

Filipino American families often carry the nickname tradition straight into the U.S., giving a child a formal name for documents and a warm, often invented pet name used at home for life. Many parents also pair an English friendly first name with a Filipino middle name honoring a grandparent or ninang, family closeness built right into the name.

Alfredo elf counsel

Alon wave

Andres manly, brave (honoring revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio)

Angel messenger of God (an extremely popular unisex Filipino American name)

Angelica angelic (a common Filipino Catholic name)

Angelo angel, messenger (a common Filipino Catholic name)

Angelyn a second-generation Filipino name blending "Angel" with the popular "-lyn" suffix, part of a broad and still-thriving Filipino naming trend of coining new names this way

Annalyn a second-generation name blending "Anna" with the popular "-lyn" suffix, part of the same coining tradition as Angelyn

Antonio the Spanish and Italian form of Anthony, from the Roman name Antonius, of uncertain Etruscan origin

Araw sun

Ariel lion of God; a Hebrew name also familiar in Filipino families

Arnel a Filipino coinage of uncertain exact roots, carried by musician Arnel Pineda of the band Journey

Asuncion assumption (Marian title)

Baby the word itself given as a lifelong legal first name, one of the most distinctive Philippine naming customs, used for both sexes

Bayani hero (a patriotic native Tagalog name)

Benedict blessed

Bituin star

Boy the word itself kept as a lifelong legal given name, the male-side counterpart to "Baby"; famously borne by TV host Boy Abunda

Carmela garden, orchard (from Mount Carmel)

Cesar long-haired; from Caesar

Charity charity, love (one of the three theological virtues in the Filipino naming tradition)

Christian from Christianus, 'a Christian' (an extremely common Filipino Catholic name for boys)

Concepcion conception (Marian title)

Consuelo consolation

Corazon heart (a classic Filipino name of Spanish-colonial origin, notably borne by President Corazon Aquino)

Cristina form of Christina across the Romance languages (a Filipino spelling too, common in Catholic families)

Dalisay pure, genuine

Danilo God is my judge (form of Daniel)

Divina divine

Diwa spirit, essence, consciousness

Dolores sorrows (a Marian title; a classic elder-generation Filipino name)

Eduardo wealthy guardian

Emmanuel God is with us (often shortened to Manny, a name given extra resonance by boxer Manny Pacquiao)

Esperanza hope

Faith faith, trust (part of the Filipino virtue-name tradition)

Ferdinand adventurous, bold; borne by a former Philippine president

Fernando adventurous, brave

Francisco Frenchman (Spanish and Portuguese form of Francis)

Gabriel God is my strength

Generoso generous

Grace grace, favor (a beloved Filipino American virtue name)

Hope hope, expectation (one of the Filipino virtue-name trio with Faith and Charity)

Jennifer fair one, white wave; a common English pick for Filipino American daughters

John-Paul combining John and Paul in honor of Pope John Paul II; an extremely common Filipino Catholic compound name

Jomari a blended name combining Jo(seph) and Mari(a), the same portmanteau tradition seen in Marivic and Maricel

Jonalyn a blended name (from Jon and the "-lyn" suffix), part of the same coining tradition as Angelyn and Annalyn

Jose God will increase (the classic Filipino Catholic name, honoring national hero Jose Rizal)

Joy joy, happiness (a popular Filipino American virtue name)

Kevin handsome, beloved (a common Filipino American English name)

Kislap spark, sparkle

Ligaya joy, happiness (a native Tagalog word name, distinct from the many Spanish-derived Filipino names)

Liwayway dawn, early morning light

Love the word itself, given directly as a first name; one of the best-documented quirks of Philippine naming, alongside Joy, Faith and Hope

Luz light

Luzviminda a patriotic portmanteau of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the Philippines' three main island groups; popular in the mid-20th-century nation-building era

Malaya free, freedom (a name that gained favor for daughters born after the 1986 People Power Revolution)

Manuel God is with us

Maria beloved, star of the sea (a near-universal Filipino given or middle name, reflecting over 300 years of Spanish Catholic influence)

Maricar a blended name (from Maria and Carmen), reflecting the same name-fusing tradition as Marivic and Maricel

Maricel a blended name (from Maria and Celia), reflecting the same name-fusing tradition as Marivic and Luzviminda

Marilag beautiful, lovely (a native Tagalog word drawn from classic Filipino poetry)

Marissa English and Dutch variant of Marisa, a combination of Maria and Luisa

Marites a blended name (from Maria and Teresita), immortalized by the "Aling Marites" internet meme as the archetypal neighborhood gossip

Marivic a blended name combining Maria and Victoria, reflecting the community's popular mid-20th-century practice of fusing two names into one

Mark of Mars, warlike

Matthew gift of God

Michael who is like God (a classic Filipino Catholic and English crossover name)

Miguel who is like God

Milagros miracles

Mutya beloved treasure, muse

Nathaniel gift of God

Ningning radiance, shine

Peter rock

Precious precious, treasured (a heartfelt Filipino American virtue-style name)

Princess given directly as a first name rather than a title; genuinely common across the Philippines and one of its most recognizable naming exports

Rafael God has healed

Ramon wise protector

Remedios remedies (an older-generation Filipino name of Spanish origin)

Renato reborn

Rey king; commonly given as its own standalone name rather than only as a short form of Reynaldo

Reynaldo wise ruler (a common mid-20th-century Filipino name, often shortened to Rey)

Ricardo brave ruler

Rizal surname of national hero Jose Rizal, occasionally given as a first name by patriotic families

Rodrigo famous ruler

Rosario rosary (a devoutly Catholic Filipino name)

Rowena of debated origin, linked to Arthurian legend; oddly and enduringly popular in the Philippines despite being rare in the US

Salvador savior

Sampaguita the Philippine national flower, a jasmine variety; an uncommon but meaningful heritage-floral name

Soledad solitude (Marian title, Our Lady of Solitude)

Tala star, specifically the guiding morning star

Trinidad trinity

Vangie short for Evangeline, "bearer of good news"; common enough as a standalone Filipino name that many never use the longer form

Vincent to conquer (a common Filipino Catholic name)

Which of these fits YOUR family? →