Why Do Filipinos Have Spanish Last Names?

Filipinos commonly bear Spanish surnames as a result of a colonial administrative reform introduced in 1849, when the Philippines was under Spanish colonial rule. The reform, implemented by Governor-General Narciso Clavería and known as the Clavería Decree, mandated the adoption of standardized surnames to streamline governance. Prior to the decree, many Filipinos either had no fixed surnames or shared common ones within their localities, complicating tax collection, census efforts, and legal documentation.

To address this, the Spanish colonial government compiled the Catalogo Alfabético de Apellidos—an alphabetized list of approved surnames, mostly of Spanish origin. Local officials were tasked with distributing these names to families, often assigning them based on geographic or administrative considerations rather than lineage or preference.

While the decree was pragmatic in nature, it also marked a deeper cultural shift. Over three centuries of Spanish colonization, the Philippines absorbed a wide array of Spanish influences in religion, language, architecture, and naming conventions. Adopting Spanish surnames became one visible marker of the Philippines’ colonial integration.

Today, Spanish surnames remain deeply woven into Filipino identity. Though the country has long since developed its own cultural and national consciousness, the enduring presence of these names reflects the historical layers of colonial governance, cultural adaptation, and imposed order that continue to shape the Filipino experience.