Mangatarem derived its name from the combination of the Ilocano word “Manga ken Tirem” which means “mango and oyster”. According to old tales, the name “Mangatarem” was attributed to woodcutters who happened to meet each other in a forested area which is now the present site of the town. One of them had a mango as his viand while the other one had oysters. When both of them saw this, they exclaimed “Manga ken Tirem”, thus, the name Mangatirem or Mangatarem.
