Ilocos Norte literally means “Northern Ilocos” or “North of Ilocos.”

Quick meaning

  • “Ilocos” refers to the old Ilocos region, whose name is often traced to terms like “looc” or “loco,” connected with coves or lowlands where early coastal communities lived.
  • “Norte” is Spanish for “north,” so “Ilocos Norte” is simply the northern part of the larger Ilocos area that was historically divided into Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur in 1818.

A bit of context

  • Ilocos Norte is a province in the Ilocos Region of the Philippines, located at the northwestern tip of Luzon, with Laoag as its capital.
  • The name reflects both its geographic position (the northern tip of the old Ilocos territory) and the Spanish colonial practice of naming places using “Norte” and “Sur” for north and south.

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