A thin-film magnetic head including a structure in which a main magnetic pole layer including a magnetic pole end part on a side of a medium-opposing surface opposing a recording medium, a write shield layer opposing the magnetic pole end part so as to form a recording gap layer on the medium-opposing surface side, and a thin-film coil wound about the write shield layer or main magnetic pole layer are laminated. The main magnetic pole layer is incorporated in a magnetic pole forming depression of a base insulating layer, the magnetic pole forming depression being sunken into a form corresponding to the main magnetic pole layer. The thin-film magnetic head has a remnant insulating film, formed on the outside of the magnetic pole forming depression so as to substantially surround the magnetic pole forming depression, covering the base insulating layer.