Tagalog Girl Names
Tagalog female names draw from two main sources: indigenous Tagalog vocabulary and Spanish Catholic naming. Tagalog has no grammatical gender, so native word‑based given names are often unisex; feminine marking commonly comes from Spanish-influenced -a endings and Maria-based double names (for example, Maria + second name). Many girls’ names reflect natural phenomena or admired qualities found in Tagalog words.
Modern usage mixes Spanish/English staples with revived Tagalog word-names and creative respellings. Examples in use for girls include Tala, Liwayway, Mutya, Malaya, Malayah, Manila, and Minda. Patterns for female names are broadly similar to male ones, aside from the frequent -a ending and Maria- compounds.
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaya | Tagalog: "free, freedom"; Sanskrit: related to "mountain breeze" or "from the hills" | Sanskrit, Tagalog | Girl | 3,610 #1 | |
| Malayah | Often interpreted as "free" (from Tagalog malaya); also used as a melodic variant of Malia/Maliyah. | Arabic, English, Filipino, Hawaiian, Tagalog | Girl | 2,415 #2 | |
| Tala | Varies by culture - 'star' (Tagalog), 'gold' (Persian), 'palm' or 'bright' (Arabic), 'wolf' (some Native American languages). | Arabic, Native American, Persian, Tagalog | Girl | 1,433 #3 | |
| Kalaya | Varies by origin - related to Sanskrit 'kala' (art/time) or names like Kaliya; in Thai used as a feminine name (connotations of beauty/grace); in Tagalog it echoes 'kalayaan' (freedom). | Indian, Sanskrit, Tagalog, Thai | Girl | 625 #4 | |
| Mahlaya | Uncertain; possibly 'free' if related to Tagalog 'malaya', or a variant of Malia/Maria with associated meanings from those names (e.g., 'beloved' or historically uncertain) | Tagalog | Girl | 35 #5 | |
| Minda | Usually a diminutive form of Melinda/Belinda; associated with 'honey' (mel) or 'pretty' (linda) depending on root, generally conveys gentleness or sweetness. | English, Lithuanian, Tagalog | Girl | 15 #6 | |
| Manila | From Manila - from Tagalog Maynilad meaning "where there is nilad" (a mangrove/shrub) | English, Tagalog | Girl | 13 #7 | |
| Inay | From Arabic Inaya meaning 'care, concern, protection'; in Tagalog used as an affectionate term for 'mother'. | Arabic, Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Kabibe | Seashell / shell | Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Lamay | Varies by origin: from Arabic Lamia/Lamya meaning (roughly) 'dark‑lipped' or 'beautiful'; as a surname related to LeMay/Lemay; in Tagalog the word means 'funeral wake'. | French, Norman, Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Linis | Clean, neat; cleanliness | Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Liwayway | Dawn; sunrise | Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Makahia | Shy, bashful - named for the plant that folds when touched | Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Manang | Respectful term meaning 'older sister' or elder woman (Philippines); also a Nepali place name | Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Mutiya | Pearl; jewel; precious treasure; muse | Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Mutya | Pearl; jewel; muse/treasure | Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Pily | Diminutive of Pilar ('of the pillar') or derived from Tagalog 'pili' meaning 'chosen' / related to the pili tree/nut. | Filipino, Spanish, Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Pinay | Informal term meaning a Filipina - a woman of Filipino nationality or descent. | Filipino, Tagalog | Girl | — | |
| Salita | Uncertain. In Tagalog 'salita' means 'word'; in Spanish 'salita' means 'small room' (diminutive of sala). As a personal name it may be used as a diminutive or variant of names like Sarita or Salima. | Spanish, Tagalog | Girl | — |
Tagalog Girls name popularity over time
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Tagalog-origin name in our dataset.