The Aquino LedgerA surname across four worlds
ENES
Chapter VII · Additional context

Aquinos around the world

The name is found in more than 120 countries. This chapter ranks them and tells some of their stories. It is background for the main subject of this site, the Serie 59 Aquinos of Castillo.1

Updated October 2026

Main focus: Serie 59 · Castillo

Most Aquino families on this page are unrelated to the Castillo line. They share a name that spread through Spanish and Portuguese colonial naming and devotion to Saint Thomas Aquinas. Return to the Serie 59 feature →

Every ranked country

Click a column header to sort, or filter by region. "Rank in country" is the surname's position among all surnames in that country. Countries marked — have no published value. All figures are Forebears estimates.1

1Philippines183,0881 : 55318119
2Brazil59,1691 : 3,61828307
3Mexico58,3671 : 2,12747299
4Paraguay44,7751 : 16261735
5Argentina37,4591 : 1,14188156
6Peru36,9551 : 860116120
7Dominican Republic Serie 5931,8531 : 32830563
8United States24,6471 : 14,70671,846
9Guatemala10,8431 : 1,48367263
10El Salvador9,8961 : 641156129
11Venezuela8,3841 : 3,60328523
12Bolivia6,8261 : 1,55564302
13Italy4,0631 : 15,05272,469
14Ecuador2,5631 : 6,206161,026
15Spain2,4831 : 18,82952,090
16Honduras2,4821 : 3,55228421
17Uruguay1,9321 : 1,77656221
18Canada1,9021 : 19,37252,705
19Cuba1,3171 : 8,74911808
20Puerto Rico8241 : 4,30823318
21Saudi Arabia5171 : 59,68228,852
22Australia4431 : 60,93827,370
23Portugal4061 : 25,66141,679
24France3811 : 174,338127,146
25Indonesia310———
26Taiwan3001 : 78,1491791
27Guam2921 : 54818278
28England266———
29Kenya245———
30Bahrain2201 : 6,130161,165
31Chile1841 : 95,74213,634
32Nicaragua1771 : 34,01731,205
33Colombia150——5,886
34Northern Mariana Islands1001 : 54618398
35Belize661 : 5,38619925
36Panama58——2,959
37Costa Rica36——2,002
38Turks and Caicos251 : 1,37373161

Where the name is most concentrated

Per 100,000 people, the top five are Paraguay (617), the Dominican Republic (305), the Northern Mariana Islands (183), Guam (182) and the Philippines (181). The Dominican Republic ranks second in the world, so Serie 59 belongs to one of the densest Aquino populations anywhere.1

Stories and notable Aquinos

One card per country, filtered by the same region buttons. Unless noted, the people named are not known to be related to the Castillo Aquinos.

Dominican Republic · rank 63

The home branch: Serie 59

About 1 in 328 Dominicans is an Aquino, the second-highest concentration of any large country after Paraguay.12 Within the country, this site follows the Castillo family line, where Juanico Aquino is remembered as a founder of the coffee economy.34 Other notable Dominican Aquinos include singer Guarionex Aquino (1924–2010) and jazz percussionist Guarionex Aquino (born 1954).5 Read the Serie 59 feature →

Paraguay · rank 35

The densest Aquino country

About 1 in 162 Paraguayans is an Aquino, the highest concentration anywhere.1 General José Elizardo Aquino (1825–1866), born in Luque, is a national hero of the War of the Triple Alliance. He died of wounds in July 1866, and an Asunción street has carried his name since 1926.67 In football, Osvaldo Aquino (1952–2025) won the 1979 Copa América with Paraguay.8 Two Aquinos have also served as Catholic bishops in Paraguay.5 None of the sources consulted explain why the name is so common in Paraguay. It probably spread through colonial baptismal naming, but that has not been documented.

Philippines · rank 19

The largest community, and Tandang Sora

With about 183,000 bearers, the Philippines has the most Aquinos of any country.1 Long before the Tarlac political family, Melchora Aquino, "Tandang Sora" (1812–1919), fed and sheltered Katipunan revolutionaries at age 84. She was arrested in 1896, exiled to Guam and returned in 1903.910 Dance researcher Francisca Reyes-Aquino (1899–1983) is another notable figure.5 The Ninoy, Cory and Noynoy story →

El Salvador · rank 129

Anastasio Aquino, king of the Nonualcos

Anastasio Aquino (1792–1833) came from a family of Nonualco chiefs and led the 1833 indigenous uprising named after him.11 He was executed in San Vicente on 24 July 1833, and his head was displayed in a cage as a warning.12 Today he is widely regarded as a national hero. Streets and schools carry his name, and Santiago Nonualco honors him every April.1312 About 1 in 641 Salvadorans is an Aquino.1

Mexico · rank 299

Champions in the ring and on the pitch

Mexico has about 58,000 Aquinos.1 Lupe Aquino won the WBC light-middleweight title in France on 12 July 1987.1415 Javier Aquino, from San Francisco Ixhuatán in Oaxaca, won Olympic gold in 2012 and played at two World Cups.16 Theologian María Pilar Aquino is another notable Mexican Aquino.5

Brazil · rank 307

Baden Powell de Aquino and the Afro-sambas

Brazil has the second-largest number of Aquinos, about 59,000.1 Guitarist Baden Powell de Aquino (1937–2000) recorded Os Afro-sambas with Vinícius de Moraes in 1966 and is counted among Brazil's great guitarists.1718 Other notable Brazilian Aquinos are novelist and screenwriter Marçal Aquino and former environment minister Ricardo de Aquino Salles.195

Argentina · rank 156

Soldiers, strikers and satire

Colonel Pedro León Aquino (1812–1852), a Unitarian officer from Corrientes, was killed by his own soldiers shortly before the battle of Caseros.20 Striker Daniel "El Toro" Aquino was top scorer of Spain's second division with Real Betis in 1993–94.21 Playmaker Claudio Aquino helped Vélez Sarsfield win the 2024 title.22 Comedian Guillermo Aquino is known for political satire.23

Peru · rank 120

A national-team midfielder

About 1 in 860 Peruvians is an Aquino.1 Pedro Aquino (born 1995) is a defensive midfielder for the Peru national team.24 Mariana Aquino is a Peruvian assistant football referee.5

United States · rank 1,846

Iva Toguri D'Aquino and the Tokyo Rose pardon

Iva Toguri D'Aquino (1916–2006), an American who married Felipe D'Aquino, was one of the women broadcasters known as "Tokyo Rose." She was convicted of treason in 1949 and pardoned by President Ford in 1977.25 She remains the only U.S. citizen convicted of treason ever to be pardoned.26 Actress Amy Aquino is another notable American Aquino.5

Cuba · rank 808

No-hitters and opera

Pitcher Aquino Abreu threw back-to-back no-hitters in January 1966, a record in Cuba's Serie Nacional. He died in 2023. In his case, Aquino is a first name.2728 Baritone Rafael Aquino (1931–2024) was the first Cuban to sing at the Bolshoi.29 His son Ulises Aquino founded the Ópera de la Calle company in 2006.30

Venezuela · rank 523

The king of the tuyera harp

Fulgencio Aquino (1915–1994), author of "El gato enmochilao," is remembered as the "King of the Tuyera Harp."31 Today, rapper Akapellah (Pedro Elías Aquino Cova, born 1991) is one of Venezuela's best-known hip-hop artists.32

Bolivia · rank 302

Two Aymara men from Viacha

Serapio Aquino and Apolinar Aquino Quispe were Aymara men from the Suripanta-Surusaya community of Viacha. Both joined the 1966–67 Ñancahuazú guerrilla campaign and died in 1967.3334 About 1 in 1,555 Bolivians is an Aquino.1

Guatemala · rank 263

Cycling and education

Guatemala has about 10,800 Aquinos.1 Óscar Aquino (1966–1993) was a Guatemalan road cyclist.5 Ana Aquino founded BecaLab, a platform that matches students with scholarships.35

Uruguay · rank 221

An outlaw of folk legend

Martín Aquino, born near Tala around 1889, became a rural outlaw-hero known as "the Moreira oriental."36 Writer and journalist María del Carmen Aquino (born 1942) and cyclist Néstor Aquino are also Uruguayan.5

Italy · rank 2,469

Where the name began

Only about 4,000 Aquinos live in Italy today.1 The name comes from the town of Aquino. Its best-known bearers are Saint Thomas Aquinas, the 13th-century poet Rinaldo d'Aquino, and the counts who served Emperor Frederick II.5 Modern Italian Aquinos include actresses Tosca D'Aquino and Sonia Aquino and jazz trumpeter Luca Aquino.5 Italian origins →

Guam · rank 78

A small island, a dense name

Guam has only 292 Aquinos, but about 1 in 548 residents carries the name, as dense as in the Philippines. The Northern Mariana Islands are similar at 1 in 546.1 Tandang Sora was exiled to Guam after her 1896 arrest.10 Judoka Mariano Aquino represented Guam.5

Canada · rank 2,705

Hockey players

Canada has about 1,900 Aquinos.1 Italian-Canadian hockey players Anthony Aquino and Luciano Aquino both played professionally.5

Puerto Rico · rank 318

Baseball

Puerto Rico has about 800 Aquinos.1 Luis Aquino is a Puerto Rican baseball player.37

Ecuador · rank 1,026

In the National Assembly

Ecuador has about 2,600 Aquinos.1 María del Carmen Aquino has served as a member of the National Assembly.38

Spain · rank 2,090

A small presence

Spain has only about 2,500 Aquinos.1 The name grew in the colonies, not through emigration from Spain. Spain & Naples →

Sources cited on this page

  1. Forebears — Aquino surname. Worldwide incidence and frequency by country. https://forebears.io/surnames/aquino
  2. Forebears — Most common surnames in the Dominican Republic. Aquino ranks 63rd in the DR with 31,853 bearers (1 in 328). https://forebears.io/dominican-republic/surnames
  3. Ayuntamiento Municipal de Castillo — Historia. Official municipal history of Castillo, Duarte (founding families, Juanico Aquino, 1907 municipality). https://ayuntamientocastillo.gob.do/historia/
  4. Serie59.com — Historia de Castillo. Local news outlet's history page: settlers 1718–1730, coffee introduced by Juanico Aquino and Gregorio Riva. https://www.serie59.com/p/historia.html
  5. Wikipedia (de) — Aquino (Familienname). List of notable bearers of the Aquino surname with nationality and dates. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquino_(Familienname)
  6. Wikipedia — Elizardo Aquino. Paraguayan general (1825–1866), hero of the War of the Triple Alliance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizardo_Aquino
  7. Diario Paraguayo — General José Elizardo Aquino. Born 8 March 1825 in Zárate Isla, Luque; died 19 July 1866; Asunción street named for him in 1926. http://www.diarioparaguayo.com.py/public/noticias/ejercito-paraguayo
  8. Wikipedia — Osvaldo Aquino. Paraguayan footballer and coach (1952–2025), 1979 Copa América winner. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osvaldo_Aquino
  9. Wikipedia — Melchora Aquino. 'Tandang Sora' (1812–1919), Mother of the Philippine Revolution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melchora_Aquino
  10. Philippine Daily Inquirer — In the Know: Melchora Aquino. Arrest in 1896, exile to Guam, return in 1903. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/122695/in-the-know-melchora-aquino
  11. Wikipedia — Anastasio Aquino's rebellion. Nonualco uprising of 1833 led by Anastasio Aquino (1792–1833), of a family of Nonualco chiefs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastasio_Aquino
  12. El Diario de Hoy — La cueva de Anastasio Aquino (2026). Execution in San Vicente on 24 July 1833; April commemorations in Santiago Nonualco. https://www.elsalvador.com/turismo/cultura-viva/cueva-anastasio-aquino-santiago-nonualco/1281325/2026/
  13. Infobae — El rey de los Nonualcos: Anastasio Aquino (Jul 2026). First great indigenous uprising of republican El Salvador and its legacy. https://www.infobae.com/el-salvador/2026/07/24/el-rey-de-los-nonualcos-anastasio-aquino-el-lider-indigena-que-desafio-el-poder-en-el-salvador/
  14. Wikipedia — Lupe Aquino. Mexican boxer, WBC light middleweight champion in 1987. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupe_Aquino
  15. Los Angeles Times — Aquino is new WBC champion (13 Jul 1987). Report of Lupe Aquino's title win over Duane Thomas in France. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-07-13-sp-2131-story.html
  16. Olympics.com — Javier Aquino. Mexican footballer from San Francisco Ixhuatán, Oaxaca; 2012 Olympic gold medalist. https://www.olympics.com/es/atletas/javier-aquino
  17. Wikipédia (pt) — Baden Powell (músico). Baden Powell de Aquino (1937–2000), guitarist and co-creator of the Afro-sambas. https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baden_Powell_(m%C3%BAsico)
  18. Enciclopédia Itaú Cultural — Baden Powell. Biography of guitarist Baden Powell de Aquino. https://enciclopedia.itaucultural.org.br/pessoas/4160-baden-powell
  19. Wikipédia (pt) — Marçal Aquino. Brazilian novelist, journalist and screenwriter. https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%A7al_Aquino
  20. Wikipedia (es) — Pedro León Aquino. Argentine Unitarian officer (1812–1852) killed by his own troops before Caseros. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Le%C3%B3n_Aquino
  21. Real Betis — Historia: Aquino, 'El Toro'. Argentine striker Daniel Toribio Aquino, top scorer of Spain's Segunda División with Betis in 1993–94. https://www.realbetisbalompie.es/index.php/noticias/actualidad/historia-aquino-el-toro-24227
  22. Infobae — Claudio Aquino, la voz de la experiencia del Vélez campeón (Dec 2024). Argentine playmaker who won titles in Paraguay and with Vélez Sarsfield. https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2024/12/16/claudio-aquino-la-voz-de-la-experiencia-y-la-excelencia-del-velez-campeon/
  23. Wikipedia (es) — Guillermo Aquino. Argentine satirical comedian and writer, born 1983. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_Aquino
  24. Wikipedia — Pedro Aquino. Peruvian midfielder born 1995, Peru national team. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Aquino
  25. Britannica — Iva Toguri D'Aquino. American broadcaster labeled 'Tokyo Rose', convicted 1949, pardoned 1977. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Iva-Toguri-DAquino
  26. Smithsonian — How Iva Toguri d'Aquino was pardoned. Only U.S. citizen convicted of treason ever pardoned. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/iva-daquino-toguri-remains-only-us-citizen-convicted-treason-who-has-ever-been-pardoned-180961818/
  27. SABR — Aquino Abreu. Society for American Baseball Research biography of the Cuban pitcher (d. 2023). https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/aquino-abreu/
  28. ACN — Aquino, ¿un récord irrompible? (Jan 2026). Back-to-back no-hitters in Cuba's 5th Serie Nacional, January 1966. https://www.acn.cu/especiales/aquino-un-record-irrompible-2
  29. Radio Cadena Habana — El primer cubano en el Bolshói. Baritone Rafael Aquino Guadalupe (1931–2024). https://www.cadenahabana.icrt.cu/el-primer-cubano-en-el-bolshoi-05082026/
  30. OnCubaNews — Ulises Aquino. Cuban baritone, founder of Ópera de la Calle (2006). https://oncubanews.com/cultura/musica/ulises-aquino-el-publico-siempre-ha-sido-muy-generoso-conmigo/
  31. Wikipedia — Fulgencio Aquino. Venezuelan harpist and composer (1915–1994), 'King of the Tuyera Harp'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgencio_Aquino
  32. Musica.com — Biografía de Akapellah. Venezuelan rapper Pedro Elías Aquino Cova, born 1991 in Maracay. https://www.musica.com/akapellah/biografia
  33. Wikipedia (es) — Serapio Aquino. Aymara guerrilla from Viacha in the 1966–67 Ñancahuazú campaign. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serapio_Aquino
  34. Wikipedia (es) — Apolinar Aquino Quispe. Aymara union leader and guerrilla from Viacha (1932–1967). https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apolinar_Aquino_Quispe
  35. MIT Technology Review en español — Ana Aquino (Guatemala). Founder of the BecaLab scholarship-matching platform. https://www.technologyreview.es/article/ana-aquino-guatemala-34
  36. Historia Hoy — Martín Aquino, el Moreira oriental. Uruguayan rural outlaw-hero born near Tala around 1889. https://historiahoy.com.ar/135279-martin-aquino-el-moreira-oriental/
  37. Wikipedia — Aquino (surname). Toponymic Italian surname; Lombard noble family of Aquino. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquino_(surname)
  38. Wikipedia — María del Carmen Aquino. Ecuadorian National Assembly member. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_del_Carmen_Aquino