Saturday, May 2, 2015

From Pakyaw to Pacquiao: Variants of Manny's Surname

As the world waits one more day before the historic fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., I would like to add more to yesterday's brief article on Manny Pacquiao's last name.

The original spelling as seen in the Catalogo

The surname PACQUIAO is a derivation of the family name PAQUIAO, a last name that was listed in the Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos. As the Catalogo can show, the surnames contained there are from various sources: some are direct listing of Hispanic surnames taken from various surname lists, others are from the plant, animal, and mineral worlds, still others are common Spanish words. Then there are those taken from indigenous words. In the case of Manny Pacquiao, his last name is derived from the Cebuano word pakyaw, which means "wholesale" or "to buy or pay in bulk".

The surname appears in various forms throughout the Philippines: Paquiao, Pacquiao, Pakiao, Pakyaw, and Pakiaw. In an interview he gave a few years ago, Manny stated that his father's roots are from Pinamungajan, Cebu. So, to find out what variations Manny's last name has taken, I looked at the church records of Pinamungajan and found that before the current form took hold, it appeared as PAQUIAO and PAKIAO (see photos below):


Two variants of Pacquiao from Pinamungajan, Cebu, Manny's dad's birthplace
Whatever version of Pacquiao, I wish him all the best in his fight tomorrow! Bring more glory to the Philippines, Manny!

5 comments:

  1. Manny's father's full name is Rosalio Laraga Pacquiao according to Ethnicelebs.

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  2. In Chamoru (the indigenous language of the Marianas) the word "pakiao" means full [cash] payment. But it also means quick work, or someone who's a fast worker.

    Two prehistoric migrations settled the Marianas, and the first, around 3500-5000 years ago, supposedly came from the Cagayan area.

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    Replies
    1. Yours is the best so far among my research. I asked this translation and best derivative on my facebook post today, July 26, 2021

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    2. In english, the song, "WINNER TAKES IT ALL" closely resemble that name because he fought all of them and won! World Champion!

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  3. My grandfather's middle name is Paquiao and he is from San Fernando Cebu. Like pinamungajan, san Fernando is at the southern part of Cebu. My grandfather would always say Manny is our distant relative. It makes me proud hearing that.

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