Trending or Timeless? 20 Common Filipino Names from PSA Records
How do you go about picking a name for your baby? Some couples try a baby name generator, while others embrace traditional Filipino names. But many parents, it turns out, opt for something contemporary based on the lists of common Filipino names from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
To find out the names Filipino parents love over time, we compiled the top 10 baby names for boys and girls from the PSA's published lists from 2017 to 2023*. We checked which names appeared most frequently across those lists and then added up the total number of babies given each name during that period.
The result? Filipino parents tend to stick with the same familiar names, year after year. Many reflect strong Western and Spanish influences, from biblical names to classic English-sounding picks. In fact, there's not a lot of old Filipino names.
Here's how those names ranked based on both frequency and total number of babies registered across six years*.
Althea Is the Most Popular Baby Name for Girls
PSA says the country welcomed 695,190 baby girls in 2023.
Filipino parents seem to love the letter "A" for their daughters when you look at the most common Filipino names for baby girls. The first three names here are the ones that appear on all of PSA's lists. The numbers represent the total number of babies with these names from 2017 to 2023*.
- Althea (12,538)
- Angel (9,631)
- Samantha (8,946)
- Princess (7,678)
- Nathalie (7,190)
- Sofia (7,160)
- Sophia (6,140)
- Angela (5,556)
- Andrea (4,681)
- Chloe (3,005)
The name "Althea" has remained #1 for six consecutive years. Colliers Dictionary puts Althea as another name for the "rose of Sharon," a shrub with yellow flowers. She's also a figure in Greek mythology, where the name means a "healing plant."
"Angel" remains a strong favorite among Filipino girl names, consistently ranking second except in 2018. "Samantha" has joined Angel in the top 3 places with one exception—the name didn't make it to the top 5 of the PSA's 2023 list.
"Chloe" only appeared on PSA's ranking in 2021, but it has become one of the top 5 names of 2023. Meanwhile, "Andrea" has been losing ground among Pinoy parents and fell off the top 10 in 2022 and 2023.
Filipino Parents Love Nathaniel as a Boy's Name
With 753,332 recorded births, baby boys outnumbered baby girls born in 2023.
Similar to the girls, the first three names have led the list for boys since 2017 (one of which is the equivalent of Angel). But some have fallen out of favor among parents.
- Nathaniel (12,671)
- Jacob (11,708)
- Gabriel (10,763)
- Nathan (9,365)
- James (8,245)
- Ethan (7,169)
- Angelo (6,492)
- Ezekiel (6,127)
- Joshua (5,224)
- Matthew (3,519)
"Nathaniel," which has a Hebrew origin meaning "gift of God," has been the most popular name among baby boys except in 2021. More parents had named their sons "Jacob" that year.
Jacob, plus another biblical name, "Gabriel," have alternated positions in the top 3 baby boy names for six consecutive years.
"Joshua" was a popular Filipino name for males up to 2020, but it hasn't been in PSA's top 10 list since 2021. The new favorite? The name "Matthew" landed on PSA's list only in 2021.
New Filipino Names on the Block
There have been a few names that didn't make it to the overall ranking but were in the top 10 in specific years.
For instance, "Athena" and "Ayesha" entered PSA's top 10 lists in 2022 and 2023, respectively. They dethroned "Sophia" and "Angela" in those years.
Names starting with the letter "Z" have also become a favorite. "Zia" has appeared in the PSA's top 10 lists in the last two years, while "Zoey" broke into the top 10 in 2023.
Among the boys, Zion made the cut among common baby boy names in 2021, but hasn't made an appearance again.
Baby Name Trivia from PSA
The popularity of specific names appears to have coincided with pop culture moments or global events.
For instance, the PSA noted the increase in the number of newborns with the name or names containing "Liam" in 2018. But it wasn't until 2022 that it entered the top 10 list and remained there in 2023.
PSA also reported that the number of newborns with the name "Catriona" shot up from 63 in 2016 to 1,598 in 2018, the year Catriona Gray won the Miss Universe pageant.
Some Filipino parents took naming inspiration from the COVID-19 pandemic. PSA shared that 355 kids had "Covid" on their birth certificates in 2020. Thirty sets of parents also included "Corona" in their baby names. And if you wondered about "Quarantine," yes, six kids have it as part of their names.
PSA's Top 10 List of Baby Names by Year
Below, you can find the published PSA lists of the most common Filipino names in the last six years*.
[H3] Top baby boy names in 2023
- Nathaniel
- Gabriel
- Jacob
- Ezekiel
- Ethan
- Nathan
- Matthew
- Liam
- Jayden
- Noah
Top baby girl names in 2023
- Althea
- Angel
- Zoey
- Chloe
- Nathalie
- Sofia
- Zia
- Princess
- Samantha
- Ayesha
Top baby boy names in 2022
- Nathaniel
- Jacob
- Ezekiel
- Gabriel
- Nathan
- Ethan
- Noah
- Liam
- James
- Matthew
Top baby girl names in 2022
- Althea
- Angel
- Samantha
- Princess
- Nathalie
- Chloe
- Sofia
- Zia
- Athena
- Sophia
Top baby boy names in 2021
- Jacob
- Nathaniel
- Gabriel
- Ezekiel
- Nathan
- Ethan
- Angelo
- James
- Matthew
- Zion
Top baby girl names in 2021
- Althea
- Angel
- Samantha
- Sophia
- Sofia
- Andrea
- Nathalie
- Princess
- Angela
- Chloe
Top baby boy names in 2020
- Jacob
- Nathaniel
- Gabriel
- Nathan
- Ethan
- Ezekiel
- Angelo
- James
- Joshua
- Kyle
Top baby girl names in 2020
- Althea
- Angel
- Samantha
- Princess
- Nathalie
- Sofia
- Sophia
- Jasmine
- Andrea
- Angela
Top baby boy names in 2018
- Nathaniel
- James
- Jacob
- Gabriel
- Joshua
- Angelo
- Nathan
- John Mark
- Christian
- Daniel
Top baby girl names in 2018
- Althea
- Samantha
- Angel
- Angela
- Princess
- Sophia
- Sofia
- Andrea
- Nathalie
- Alexa
Top baby boy names in 2017
- Nathaniel
- James
- Jacob
- Angelo
- Joshua
- Gabriel
- Christian
- John Mark
- Nathan
- Daniel
Top baby girl names in 2017
- Althea
- Angel
- Princess
- Samantha
- Angela
- Sophia
- Sofia
- Andrea
- Ashley
- Janella
Pick a Name Your Child Will Be Proud Of
Choosing a name for a child can reflect family traditions, current events, and sometimes even a pandemic. But at the end of the day, the best baby name is the one that feels right for your child and for you.
So, whether you're naming after a beloved grandparent or going with a combination of some of the common Filipino names you've read here, the meaning is ultimately yours to make.
What's your baby's name? Share your naming inspiration on the ParentTeam Moms and Dads Facebook Group!
*excluding 2019
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