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''[[Philippines]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[ | ''[[Philippines]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Philippines Names, Personal|Names, Personal]]'' | ||
<br>It is important to understand how surnames and given names developed and changed in the Philippines. You can gain important clues about a family’s origin by examining its surname. The Filipinos began adopting surnames in the 16th century during Spanish colonization; before this, the Filipinos found one name adequate to meet their needs. As the Catholic Church assigned Christian names to new converts and as more and more Filipinos began to use their native names and their Christian names, the government saw a need to standardize naming practices among the Filipinos. | |||
It is important to understand how surnames and given names developed and changed in the Philippines. You can gain important clues about a family’s origin by examining its surname. The Filipinos began adopting surnames in the 16th century during Spanish colonization; before this, the Filipinos found one name adequate to meet their needs. As the Catholic Church assigned Christian names to new converts and as more and more Filipinos began to use their native names and their Christian names, the government saw a need to standardize naming practices among the Filipinos. | |||
The Spaniards issued the Claveria Decree in 1849 in an attempt to assign all Filipinos surnames. This decree was inconsistently enforced, and there are no records describing its institution. In many cases the local magistrates simply assigned surnames to those who did not already have one. They used the following alphabetical index of surnames compiled for that purpose: | The Spaniards issued the Claveria Decree in 1849 in an attempt to assign all Filipinos surnames. This decree was inconsistently enforced, and there are no records describing its institution. In many cases the local magistrates simply assigned surnames to those who did not already have one. They used the following alphabetical index of surnames compiled for that purpose: | ||