Surname: Poliarco
I can’t find any information on the surname Poliarco. Does any one have any information on the origin and meaning? My husband is Filipino and the surname comes from his dad side on the Philippines, his dad is first generation Filipino-American, immigrated to America around early 2000.
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My guess would be: It's from the Greek name Polyarchos (many + leader).
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the spaniards conquered the Philippines, what would be the spaniard name Poliarco is derived from.
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It certainly looks like a Spanish version of the Greek Polyarchos. If there were a Saint Polyarchos that would strengthen the case for this interpretation. However I've found no evidence of a saint so named.
With Filipino surnames ending in -co, you often have an adapted Chinese name, for example Cohuanco, meaning "elder brother Ko Huan". the -co ending is a Chinese honorific, but it can give a surname a Spanish appearance. I can't see Poliarco as an adapted Chinese name, but it's worth bearing in mind.
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If you take a look at a Spanish name book, you will find names such as ALEXANDRO, FILIPE, INES, MELANDRO and many others. These are all of Greek origin. So don't be confused by a suggestion like mine.
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Note the number of surnames ending in -co."Chinese Filipino, as well as Chinese mestizos who trace their roots back to Chinese immigrants to the Philippines during the Spanish Colonial Period, usually have multiple syllable Chinese surnames such as Angseeco (from ang/see/co/kho) Aliangan (from liang/gan), Angkeko (from ang/ke/co/kho), Chuacuco, Chuatoco, Chuateco, Ciacho (from Sia), Sinco, Cinco (from Go), Cojuangco, Corong, Cuyegkeng, Dioquino, Dytoc, Dy-Cok, Dypiangco, Dysangco, Dytioco, Gueco, Gokongwei, Gundayao, Kimpo/Quimpo, King/Quing, Landicho, Lanting, Limcuando, Ongpin, Pempengco, Quebengco, Siopongco, Sycip, Tambengco, Tambunting, Tanbonliong, Tantoco, Tiolengco, Tiongson, Yuchengco, Tanciangco, Yuipco, Yupangco, Licauco, Limcaco, Ongpauco, Tancangco, Tanchanco, Teehankee, Uytengsu and Yaptinchay among such others. These were originally full Chinese names which were transliterated into Spanish and adopted as surnames."
(Wikipedia, "Chinese Filipino")
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