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

Tagalog, 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 Tagalog surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tagalog in America

Tagalog is the 146201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tagalog surname appeared 113 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 Tagalog.

The history of the last name Tagalog

The surname "TAGALOG" originated in the Philippines, particularly in the Tagalog region located in the central part of the island of Luzon. It can be traced back to the 16th century, when the Spanish colonizers first encountered the Tagalog people and their language.

The name "TAGALOG" is derived from the word "taga," which means "native of" or "resident of" in the Tagalog language, combined with "ilog," meaning "river." Thus, the term "Tagalog" refers to the people living along the river banks or near the bodies of water around what is now known as the Metro Manila area.

Historical records from the Spanish colonial period, such as missionary accounts and administrative documents, mention the Tagalog people and their language. One notable example is the "Doctrina Christiana" published in 1593, which was the first book printed in the Tagalog language using the Baybayin script.

The earliest known usage of the surname "TAGALOG" can be found in the baptismal records of the Catholic Church during the Spanish colonial era. Some notable individuals who bore this surname include Juan Tagalog, a Tagalog chieftain who led a rebellion against the Spanish authorities in the late 16th century, and Gaspar Aquino de Belen Tagalog, a prominent poet and writer in the 18th century.

Throughout the centuries, the name "TAGALOG" has been associated with several notable figures, including:

1. Francisco Baltazar Tagalog (1788-1862), a Filipino priest and linguist who wrote the first Tagalog-Spanish dictionary.
2. María Baens Tagalog (1833-1888), a Filipina poetess and playwright known for her contributions to the development of Tagalog literature.
3. Pascual Poblete Tagalog (1857-1939), a Filipino revolutionary and journalist who played a significant role in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule.
4. Severino Reyes Tagalog (1865-1942), a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Philippine Commission during the American colonial period.
5. Emilio Jacinto Tagalog (1875-1899), a Filipino writer and revolutionary who authored the famous novel "Arin ng Bayan" and played a crucial role in the Philippine Revolution.

While the surname "TAGALOG" is primarily associated with the Filipino ethnolinguistic group, it has also been adopted by individuals from other regions of the Philippines due to its historical significance and cultural relevance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tagalog

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

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 Tagalog 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.

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 Tagalog was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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