List of Philippine place names of Spanish origin

As a result of more than three centuries of Spanish dominance in the islands that are now the republic of the Philippines, an overwhelming number of places in the country have Spanish or Hispanic names. As with Filipino surnames and many other aspects of Filipino culture, place names in the Philippines have received a great deal of Spanish influence, with many places in the former Spanish colony having been named after those in Spain and Latin America. The name Philippines itself originated from its old official name Filipinas in honor of King Philip II of Spain. Spanish language has also become one of the country's official languages from the late 16th century until 1986 when it was designated as a voluntary language and it remains so to this day.

Provinces Abra (Spanish for "opening." Originally called El Abra de Vigan -- "The Opening of Vigan")Provincial Profile of Abra Aurora (Spanish given name. Named in honor of Philippine First Lady Aurora Quezon) Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur (Camarines is the plural form of the Spanish word camarín which means "boat sheds". Norte pertains to the former province's geographical location being on the north, and Sur pertains to the latter province's geographical location being on the south.) Isabela (Spanish given name. Named after Isabella II, the reigning queen of Spain at the time of the province's creation in 1856.) La Union (Spanish for "the union," referring to the merging of towns from southern Ilocos Sur and northern Pangasinan that resulted in the creation of the province in 1854.)Provincial Profile of La Union Laguna (Spanish for "lake," or "lagoon," referring to the large body of freshwater (Laguna de Bay, Spanish for "Lake of Bay") that was named after the province's first capital, the town of Bay.)Provincial Profile of Laguna Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental (Negros is Spanish for "blacks," referring to the dark-skinned Negritos that inhabited the island. Occidental refers to the former province's geographic location on the island's western half, and Oriental refers to the latter province's geographic location on the island's eastern half. The political division of the island was by a royal decree issued by the King of Spain and executed by the Governor General on January 1, 1890.) Nueva Ecija (Spanish for "new Écija", after a town in province of Sevilla, whose topography Don Fausto Cruzat y Góngora associated to.) Nueva Vizcaya (Spanish for "new Biscay", after the province in the Basque Country of Spain.) Quezon (Spanish surname. The province, formerly known as Tayabas, was renamed in 1949 in honor of Philippine president Manuel Quezon.) Quirino (Spanish surname. Named after Philippine president Elpidio Quirino.) Rizal (Spanish surname. Named after Philippine national hero José Rizal.)

Cities

Alaminos, Pangasinan (Spanish surname. Named after the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, Juan Alaminos y Vivar.) Angeles, Pampanga (contraction of its original Spanish name El Pueblo de los Angeles which means "The Town of Angels.") Cadiz, Negros Occidental (named after the Spanish city of Cádiz.Brief History City Government of Cadiz. Retrieved May 1, 2012.) Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental ("Golden Cagayan") Calaca, Batangas ("skull") Carmona, Cavite (named after the town of Carmona in Seville, Spain.) Dasmariñas, Cavite (Spanish surname. Named after the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas.) El Salvador, Misamis Oriental (Spanish for "The Saviour", named after Jesus Christ.) Escalante, Negros Occidental (named after the municipality of Escalante in Cantabria, Spain.Escalante City History Negros Occidental Provincial Government. Retrieved May 1, 2012.) General Santos (Spanish name. Named after Filipino general Paulino Santos.) General Trias, Cavite (Spanish name. Named after Filipino patriot Mariano Trías.) Isabela, Basilan (Spanish given name. Named after Queen Isabella II of Spain.) La Carlota, Negros Occidental (named after the municipality of La Carlota.) Las Piñas (Spanish for "The Pineapples"History LasPinas.com. Retrieved May 1, 2012.) Legazpi, Albay (Spanish surname. Named after the first Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, Miguel López de Legazpi.) Lucena, Quezon (named after the Spanish municipality of Lucena.About Lucena Quezon Provincial Government. Retrieved May 1, 2012.) Marikina (Spanish surname. Named after Spanish Governor-General Félix Berenguer de Marquina.) Muñoz, Nueva Ecija (Spanish surname. Named after Francisco Muñoz, Spanish politician and former gobernadorcillo.All About Science City of Muñoz City Government of Muñoz. Retrieved May 1, 2012.) Oroquieta, Misamis Occidental (named after the barrio of Oroquieta in the district of Villaverde in Madrid, Spain.) Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental (Spanish surname. Named after José Ozámiz, a Filipino politician.) Puerto Princesa, Palawan (contraction of its original Spanish name Puerto de la Princesa which means "Port of the Princess" named after Princess Eulalia of Spain.History of Puerto Princesa Puerto Princesa Resorts. Retrieved May 1, 2012.) Quezon City (Spanish surname. Named after Manuel Luis Quezon, the second president of the Philippines at the time of city's creation in 1939.) Roxas, Capiz (Spanish surname. Named after Manuel Acuña Roxas, the fifth president of the Philippines.) San Carlos, Negros Occidental ("Saint Charles Borromeo") San Carlos, Pangasinan ("Saint Charles Borromeo") 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, Metro Manila ("Saint John the Baptist") San Pablo, Laguna ("Saint Paul the First Hermit") San Pedro, Laguna ("Saint Peter the Apostle") Santa Rosa, Laguna ("Saint Rose of Lima") Santiago, Isabela ("Saint James the Apostle") Santo Tomas, Batangas ("Saint Thomas Aquinas") Toledo, Cebu (named after the Spanish city of Toledo.) Trece Martires, Cavite (Spanish for "thirteen martyrs.") Urdaneta, Pangasinan (Spanish surname. Named after Andrés de Urdaneta, Spanish friar, circumnavigator and explorer.) Valencia, Bukidnon (named after the Spanish city of Valencia.) Valenzuela, Metro Manila (Spanish surname. Named after Pío Valenzuela, a Filipino patriot.) Victorias, Negros Occidental (from Nuestra Señora de las Victorias, Spanish for "Our Lady of Victories".)

Municipalities

A Abra de Ilog, Mindoro Occidental ("river opening of Ilog") Agoncillo, Batangas (Spanish surname. Named after Filipino patriot Felipe Agoncillo.) Aguilar, Pangasinan (Spanish surname. Named after Spanish Governor-General Rafael María de Aguilar y Ponce de León.)Aguilar Provincial Government of Pangasinan. Retrieved May 1, 2012. Aguinaldo, Ifugao (Spanish surname. Named after Filipino president Emilio Aguinaldo.) Alaminos, Laguna (Spanish surname. Named after Spanish governor general Juan Alaminos y Vivar.)History AlaminosLaguna.info. Retrieved May 1, 2012. Albuera, Leyte (named after the village of La Albuera in Badajoz, Spain.) Alburquerque, Bohol (named after the town of Alburquerque in Badajoz, Spain.)History Municipal Government of Alburquerque. Retrieved May 1, 2012. Alcala, Cagayan (Spanish surname. Named after Spanish Governor-General Francisco de Paula Alcalá de la Torre.) Alcala, Pangasinan (named after the city of Alcalá de Henares in Spain.)Alcala Provincial Government of Pangasinan. Retrieved May 1, 2012. Alcantara, Cebu (named after the town of Alcántara in Caceres, Spain.) Alcantara, Romblon (Spanish surname. Named after Filipino politician Ciriaco Alcantara.) Alcoy, Cebu (named after the town of Alcoy in Alicante, Spain.) Alegria, Cebu ("happiness" / named after the town of Alegría in the Basque Country, Spain.) Alegria, Surigao del Norte ("happiness") Alfonso, Cavite (Spanish given name. Named after King Alfonso XII of Spain.) Alfonso Castañeda, Nueva Vizcaya (Spanish name. Named after a Filipino politician.) Alfonso Lista, Ifugao (Spanish name. Named after a Filipino politician.) Aliaga, Nueva Ecija (named after the town of Aliaga in Aragon, Spain.) Alicia, Bohol (Spanish given name. Named after Filipino First Lady Alicia Syquia Quirino.) Alicia, Isabela Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay Almagro, Samar (named after the city of Almagro in Castile-La Mancha, Spain.) Almeria, Biliran (named after the city of Almería in Andalusia, Spain.) Altavas, Aklan (Spanish surname. Named after Filipino senator Jose Altavas.) Amadeo, Cavite (Spanish given name. Named after King Amadeo I of Spain) Anda, Bohol (Spanish surname. Named after Spanish Governor-General Simón de Anda y Salazar.) Anda, Pangasinan Antequera, Bohol (named after the city of Antequera in Malaga, Spain.) Araceli, Palawan (derived from Nuestra Señora de Araceli, Spanish name for "Our Lady of the Altar of the Sky".) Arteche, Eastern Samar (Spanish surname. Named after Filipino politician Pedro Arteche.) Asturias, Cebu (named after the principality of Asturias, Spain.) Asuncion, Davao del Norte (derived from Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Spanish name for "Our Lady of the Assumption") Aurora, Isabela (Spanish given name which means "dawn". Named after Filipino First Lady Aurora Quezon.) Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur

B Ballesteros, Cagayan (Spanish surname. Named after Filipino priest Gregorio Ballesteros.) Barbaza, Antique (Spanish surname. Named after Spanish governor Enrique Barbaza.) Barcelona, Sorsogon (named after the Spanish city of Barcelona.) Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo ("New Barotac") Barotac Viejo, Iloilo ("Old Barotac") Basco, Batanes (Spanish surname. Named after Spanish Governor-General José Basco y Vargas.) Basilisa, Dinagat Islands (Spanish given name.) Basista, Pangasinan (Spanish surname of unknown origin.) Bautista, Pangasinan (derived from San Juan Bautista, Spanish name for "Saint John the Baptist") Benito Soliven, Isabela (Spanish name. Named after Filipino politician Benito T. Soliven.) Bien Unido, Bohol ("well united") Bilar, Bohol (named after the municipality of Elvillar in the Basque Country, Spain.) Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental (Spanish surname. Named after Filipino patriot Andres Bonifacio.) Borbon, Cebu (named after Spain's King Philip V of Borbon) Braulio E. Dujali, Davao del Norte (Spanish name. Named after a Filipino pioneer.) Buenavista, Agusan del Norte ("good view") Buenavista, Bohol Buenavista, Guimaras Buenavista, Marinduque Buenavista, Quezon Bugallon, Pangasinan (Spanish surname. Named after Filipino revolutionary José Torres Bugallón) Burdeos, Quezon (named after the French city of Bordeaux by a Spanish friar, which in Spanish is "Burdeos") Burgos, Ilocos Norte (named after the Spanish city of Burgos, Castille) Burgos, Ilocos Sur Burgos, Isabela Burgos, La Union Burgos, Pangasinan Burgos, Surigao del Norte Bustos, Bulacan ("tombs")

C Cagayancillo, Palawan ("Little Cagayan") Calatrava, Negros Occidental (named after the town of Calatrava la Vieja in Castile-La Mancha, Spain.) Calatrava, Romblon Candelaria, Quezon (derived from Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Spanish name for "Our Lady of Candlemas") Candelaria, Zambales Cardona, Rizal (named after the town of Cardona in Catalonia, Spain.) Carles, Iloilo (Spanish/Catalan surname. Named after Spanish governor Jose Maria Carles.) Carmen, Agusan del Norte (derived from Nuestra Señora de Monte Carmelo commonly referred to as Virgen del Carmen, Spanish for "Our Lady of Mount Carmel.") Carmen, Bohol Carmen, Cebu Carmen, Cotabato Carmen, Davao del Norte Carmen, Surigao del Sur Carrascal, Surigao del Sur ("oak plantation"/named after Carrascal del Río, a Spanish town.) Castilla, Sorsogon (named after the Kingdom of Castile (Spain) ) Castillejos, Zambales (Spanish surname. Named after Spanish General Juan Primo y Prata Marques de los Castillejos.)