The name “Maranao” (also spelled “Meranao”, “Meranaw”, or “Maranaw”) means “people of the lake” (lanaw or ranaw, archaic danaw, means “lake” in the Maranao language). This is in reference to Lake Lanao, the predominant geographic feature in the ancestral homeland of the Maranao people.

What does Maranao mean?

The name “Maranao” (also spelled “Meranao”, “Meranaw”, or “Maranaw”) means “people of the lake” (lanaw or ranaw, archaic danaw, means “lake” in the Maranao language). This is in reference to Lake Lanao, the predominant geographic feature in the ancestral homeland of the Maranao people.

What is Maranao religion?

RELIGION. The Maranao are Muslim. In recent years, Maranao who have studied in Islamic universities in the Middle East have worked towards the elimination of traditional spirit beliefs and associated rituals.