Find out how popular the last name Magsaysay is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Magsaysay.

Magsaysay, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Magsaysay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Magsaysay in America

Magsaysay is the 114424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Magsaysay surname appeared 153 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Magsaysay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Magsaysay to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Magsaysay

The surname Magsaysay is of Filipino origin, tracing its roots back to the Tagalog language spoken in the Philippines. It is believed to have originated in the late 16th or early 17th century, during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines.

Magsaysay is a combination of two Tagalog words: "mag," meaning "to do" or "to make," and "saysay," meaning "story" or "narration." The name may have initially referred to someone who was a storyteller, narrator, or someone skilled in the art of verbal expression.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Magsaysay surname can be found in the baptismal records of the Archdiocese of Manila, which date back to the late 17th century. The name appears to have been most prevalent in the provinces of Luzon, particularly in the areas around Manila and the Central Luzon region.

In terms of historical figures with the Magsaysay surname, one of the most notable is Ramon Magsaysay (1907-1957), who served as the seventh President of the Philippines from 1953 until his untimely death in a plane crash in 1957. He is widely regarded as one of the country's most popular and effective leaders, known for his efforts to combat corruption and his support for rural development programs.

Another notable figure is Corazon Aquino (1933-2009), the 11th President of the Philippines, whose maiden name was Magsaysay. She was the daughter of Ramon Magsaysay's brother and played a pivotal role in the restoration of democracy in the Philippines after the Marcos regime.

In the field of literature, the Magsaysay surname is associated with Francisco Balagtas Magsaysay (1788-1862), a renowned Filipino poet and playwright who wrote in the Tagalog language. His works, including the famous "Florante at Laura," are considered classics of Philippine literature.

The name Magsaysay has also been prominent in the world of journalism and human rights. One notable example is Teodoro Locsin Jr. (1938-2018), a Filipino diplomat and journalist who served as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs under President Corazon Aquino. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia's highest honor, for his work in journalism and human rights advocacy.

Another recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Aung San Suu Kyi (born 1945), the Burmese political leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who was recognized for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights in Myanmar.

While the Magsaysay surname has Filipino origins, it has gained recognition and prominence beyond the Philippines, particularly in fields such as politics, literature, journalism, and human rights advocacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Magsaysay

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Magsaysay.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Magsaysay was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Magsaysay has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Magsaysay was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Magsaysay, please contact us.

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