The Philippines were named after Philip II of Spain.
Philip II of Spain . Known in Spain as `` Felipe el Prudente '' ( ' `` Philip the Prudent ' '' ) , his empire included territories on every continent then known to Europeans , including his namesake the Philippine Islands . Philippines . In 1543 , Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain .