See main article: Cities of the Philippines. 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 name | Province | Name origin |
|---|---|---|
| Alaminos | Juan Alaminos y Vivar, Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines. | |
| Angeles | none | a contraction of its original Spanish name El Pueblo de los Ángeles which means "The Town of Angels." |
| Antipolo | 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 | Hispanicized form of bacood, derived from the Tagalog word which means "fence."[1] | |
| Bago | from bago-bago, a local shrub. | |
| Baguio | none | Hispanicized corruption of the Ibaloi word bagiw which means "moss." |
| Bais | Cebuano for "large, edible fresh-water eel." | |
| Balanga | Pampango for "clay pot." | |
| Baliwag | Old Kapampangan word for "untouched." | |
| Batac | 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 | 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 | from bayaw, a Cebuano word which means "to hoist" or "to elevate."[3] | |
| Baybay | Cebuano word for "shore."[4] | |
| Bayugan | Manobo word for "pathway" or from bayug, the local name for bayur tree.[5] | |
| Biñan | Hispanicized corruption of binyagan, Tagalog for "baptismal place." | |
| Bislig | from bizlin, an ancient gold currency. | |
| Bogo | from bogo, an incense tree.[6] | |
| Borongan | from borong, a Waray word for "fog", referring to the heavy fog that once covered the place.[7] | |
| Butuan | none | from batuan, a Visayan sour fruit. |
| Cabadbaran | from badbad, a Cebuano word which means "to untie."[8] | |
| Cabanatuan | from banatu, a sturdy vine that grew along the swampy banks of Rio Grande de Pampanga.[9] | |
| Cabuyao | from cabuyao, common name for Citrus macroptera, a species of wild orange | |
| Cadiz | 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 | from the roofs of the houses made of bamboos halves arranged over top of one another. | |
| Calamba | Hispanicized corruption of kalan-bangá, Tagalog for "clay stove." | |
| Calapan | Hispanicized form of the old Tagalog word kalapang which means "branch."[11] | |
| Calbayog | 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 | the Spanish municipality of Candón in Huelva, Andalucia; or kandung, an Ilocano sandalwood tree believed to be extinct. | |
| Canlaon | Kanlaon Volcano. | |
| Carcar | the Spanish municipality of Cárcar.[13] | |
| Carmona | the Spanish municipality of Carmona. | |
| Catbalogan | from balaug, a type of shrub that used to thrive along the seashore and mouth of the Antiao River.[14] | |
| Cauayan | Hispanicized form of kawayan, Tagalog for "bamboo." | |
| Cavite City | 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 | Hispanicized form of danawan, a Cebuano word for "small lake."[16] | |
| Dapitan | from dapit, Cebuano for "to invite."[17] | |
| Dasmariñas | 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 | Hispanicized corruption of padigus, a Lumad word which means "to take a bath" in reference to the Digos River. | |
| Dipolog | from dipag, Subanon for "across the river." | |
| Dumaguete | 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 | Spanish for "The Saviour."[18] | |
| Escalante | the Spanish municipality of Escalante.[19] | |
| Gapan | from gapang, a Tagalog word which means "crawl." | |
| General Santos | none | Paulino Santos, Filipino Commanding General of the Philippine Army. |
| General Trias | Mariano Trías, Filipino revolutionary and politician. | |
| Gingoog | Hispanicized form of hingoog, a Manobo word which means "good luck." | |
| Guihulngan | from guihulugan, Cebuano for "a place where something was dropped."[20] | |
| Himamaylan | 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 | Old Tagalog word for "a piece of land cutting into the junction of two rivers." | |
| Iriga | from i raga, a Bicolano phrase which means "there is land." | |
| Isabela | Isabella II, Queen of Spain. | |
| Kabankalan | from bangkal, a Philippine Leichhard tree. | |
| Kidapawan | from tida pawan, a Manobo phrase which means "highland spring". | |
| Koronadal | from koron nadal, a B'laan phrase which means "grass plain." | |
| La Carlota | the Spanish municipality of La Carlota. | |
| Lamitan | from lami-lamihan, a Yakan word which means "merry-making."[21] | |
| Laoag | 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 | Miguel López de Legazpi, the first Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines. | |
| Ligao | from ticao, a Bicolano word for a tree with poisonous leaves. | |
| Lipa | from lipa, a Philippine linden tree. | |
| Lucena | none | The Spanish municipality of Lucena.[23] |
| Maasin | Cebuano for "salty." | |
| Mabalacat | 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 | from a Cebuano phrase which means "house of the Malays". | |
| Malolos | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | Hispanicized form of the Tagalog phrase may kawayan meaning "a place full of bamboos." | |
| Muntinlupa | none | Muntíng lupà, Tagalog for "small land." |
| Muñoz | Francisco Muñoz, Spanish politician and former gobernadorcillo of Nueva Ecija.[27] | |
| Naga | Bicolano for narra, a type of rosewood tree. | |
| Naga | 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 | the barrio of Oroquieta in the district of Villaverde in Madrid, Spain. | |
| Ozamiz | José Ozámiz, a Filipino politician from Mindanao. | |
| Pagadian | from padian, an Iranun word for "market." | |
| Palayan | Tagalog for "rice field." | |
| Panabo | 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 | 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 | Manuel Luis Quezon, the second president of the Philippines. | |
| Roxas | Manuel Acuña Roxas, the fifth president of the Philippines. | |
| Sagay | from sigay, a Hiligaynon word for "shell." | |
| Samal | Sama, an indigenous ethnic group in Mindanao. | |
| San Carlos | Saint Charles Borromeo. | |
| San Carlos | named after Charles III of Spain, who ordered Spanish forces to raze the town of Binalatongan (its former name) to the ground. | |
| San Fernando | Saint Ferdinand, King of Spain. | |
| San Fernando | Saint Ferdinand, King of Spain. | |
| San Jose | Saint Joseph | |
| San Jose del Monte | Saint Joseph of the Mountain. | |
| San Juan | none | Saint John the Baptist
|
| San Pablo | Saint Paul the First Hermit. | |
| San Pedro | Saint Peter, the Apostle | |
| Santa Rosa | Saint Rose of Lima. | |
| Santiago | none | Saint James the Apostle. |
| Santo Tomas | Saint Thomas Aquinas | |
| Silay | from kansilay, a local Philippine tree. | |
| Sipalay | Suludnon for "there is rice"[29] | |
| Sorsogon City | Hispanicized form of sogsogon, a Bicolano verb meaning "to continuously follow a course, such as a trail or a river." | |
| Surigao | Hispanicized corruption of suligan, a Manobo word for "where there is sulig", a species of fish. | |
| Tabaco | from tabak ko, Bikol for "my bolo" | |
| Tabuk | from tobog, Ilocano for "living stream."[30] | |
| Tacloban | none | Hispanicized corruption of tarakluban, a Waray-Waray word which means "to catch fish." |
| Tacurong | Hispanicized corruption of talakudong, a Maguindanao word which means a traditional "head covering" or "hat." | |
| Tagaytay | Tagalog for "ridge". | |
| Tagbilaran | 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 | from magugpo, a Mandaya word which means "tall tree." | |
| Talisay | from talisay, a Visayan variety of Indian almond tree. | |
| Talisay | from talisay, a Visayan variety of Indian almond tree. | |
| Tanauan | Hispanicized form of the Tagalog word tanawan which means "vista" or "view." | |
| Tandag | from tangad, Cebuano for lemongrass. | |
| Tangub | from tangkob, a Subanon word which means "rice basket."[32] | |
| Tanjay | Hispanicized corruption of taytay, a Cebuano word which means "bamboo bridge."[33] | |
| Tarlac City | Hispanicized rendering of tarlak, Aeta term for a certain grass related to talahib (cogon) and tanglar (Zambal for lemongrass). | |
| Tayabas | from bayabas, a Tagalog word for the "guava" fruit.[34] | |
| Toledo | the Spanish city of Toledo. | |
| Trece Martires | Spanish for "thirteen martyrs." The city was named in honor of the Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite. | |
| Tuguegarao | Hispanicized form of the Ibanag phrase tuggui gari yaw meaning "this used to be fire." | |
| Urdaneta | Andrés de Urdaneta, Spanish friar, circumnavigator and explorer. | |
| Valencia | Named by the first local Barrio school teacher in the village, who hailed from Valencia, Bohol. | |
| Valenzuela | none | Pío Valenzuela, a Filipino patriot. |
| Victorias | from Nuestra Señora de las Victorias, Spanish for "Our Lady of Victories". | |
| Vigan | 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. |