‘WALA LANG’ – Dr. Jaime Laya’s“ Wala Lang” column in Manila Bulletin last June 5 was most entertaining and enlightening.He dwelt on unusual surnames quite common in Batangas, starting with “ Dima”.
As in: Dimayuga, Dimaano, Dimalanta, Dimayacyac, Dimagiba, Dimarucut, Dimalapitan, Dimasupil, Dimapilis, Dimaunahan, Dimaculangan.
Dr.Laya surmised that when the Spanish autorities issued the “Catalogo” of possible surnames, the page with “ Dima” ( meaning cannot) must have been dispatched to Batangas.
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OTHERS – But there are other unusual surnames in Batangas, among others: Madlangbayan, Tatlonghari, Dipasupil( very similar to Dimasupil), Mayuga (without Dima), Kalaw, Katigbak.
Think Bong Dimayacyac (former Miss Asia), writers Ester Dipasupil and Sylvia Mayuga, actress Karylle Tatlonghari, and Maria Kalaw- Katigbak ( former senator and MTRCB chair).
A friend remembers a classmate surnamed Biglanggahasa…. and he isn’t joking. There’s also one called Tampalpuki.
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RARELY USED – From unusual surnames, Highspeed segues to first names rarely used.
Let’s start with those ending in “cion” and with religious undertones.
Salvacion, Resurreccion, Visitacion, Encarnacion, Asuncion, Commemoracion, Adoracion, Rogacion, Purificacion, Bendicion, Obligacion.
Think Visitacion“ Techie” Agbayani. Or prolific author Visitacion“ Chit” R. de la Torre. Jesusa Purificacion Sonora is Susan Roces off cam.
If I remember right, Regine Velasquez is Chona Encarnacion in real life.
By the way, a bank executive swears they have a client named Circumsicion, a spinster.
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‘OUTDATED’ – Seems that there are more outdated names.
Escolastica/o , Trinidad, Engracia/o, Catalina/o, Andres, Bayani,Gregoria/o, Benita/o, Bonifacio, Rustica/o, Simplicio, Vivencio, Laura/o, Hilaria/o, Brigida/o, Candelaria,Panpilo, Honesto, Pablo, Serafia/o, Clodualdo.
Also Tagumpay, Teodora/o, Donata/o, Zosima/o, Pioquinta/o, Lucia/o, Basilio, Crispin, Pio, (but Pia is in), Sisa, Ignacia/o, Pilar.
Preferred are English and even Italian names, like Paolo, Matteo, Franco, Sofia, Claudia. Here to stay are Gerald, Sam, John, Robert, Joseph, Elizabeth, Julia, Marilyn, and some such English names.
So there.
