Juan dela Cruz

Tagalog

American anti-communist poster featuring Juan dela Cruz

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish Juan de la Cruz (“John of the Cross”), an allusion to dela Cruz, the most common Filipino surname.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /huˌan deˌla ˈkɾus/ [ˌhwan̪ d̪ɛˌla ˈkɾus]
• Rhymes: -us
• Syllabification: Ju‧an de‧la Cruz

Noun

Juán delá Cruz (Baybayin spelling ᜑᜓᜏᜈ᜔ ᜇᜒᜎ ᜃ᜔ᜇᜓᜐ᜔)

1. John Doe (fictitious name used in legal documents for an unknown or anonymous male person)

   Coordinate terms: Maria dela Cruz, Juana dela Cruz

2. male national personification of the Philippines, usually representing the Filipino citizenry

   Coordinate term: Inang Bayan

3. Alternative spelling of Juan de la Cruz: John of the Cross

Usage notes

• Where a middle name or maternal surname is provided, this may also be rendered as Juan Reyes dela Cruz or Juan Santos dela Cruz.

Further reading

• “Juan dela Cruz”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018