Last names provide us with a bridge to our heritage. In a country as diverse as Brazil, family history can be both rich and complex. The most common Brazilian last names connect those who bear them to Portuguese roots, as Portugal had such a large colonial presence in the country. Other Brazilian last names have Spanish influences, while a significant number of Brazilians carry Italian and German last names.
We’ve compiled a list of some common Brazilian last names and their meanings, as well as the language they stem from. Read on and see if yours is on the list!
- Silva
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Forest or woodland. - Mota
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Someone who lives near a fort. - Lima
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Someone who lives near a river. - Ferreira
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Blacksmith. - Batista
Origin: Spanish/Portuguese
Meaning: Baptist. - Gomes
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Man. - Rocha
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Rock or boulder. - Alves
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Son of Alvaro. - Macedo
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Apple grove. - Schmidt
Origin: German
Meaning: Blacksmith.
Le PicBois - Correia
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Leather belt-maker. - Ramos
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: A person who lives near a forest. - Morais
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Blackberry. - Azevedo
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Holly. - Cavalcante
Origin: Italian
Meaning: This name comes from the Latin word for ‘to ride,’ meaning it was probably given to horse riders or horse trainers. - Moreira
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Mulberry tree. - Santos
Origin: Spanish/Portuguese
Meaning: Holy. - Melo
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: A person who came from Melo, Portugal. - Neves
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Snow. - Teixeira
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Yew tree. - Campos
Origin: Portuguese/Spanish
Meaning: Countryside. - Sousa
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Rocks or stones; after the Sousa river in Portugal. - Oliveira
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Of the olive tree. - Pereira
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Pear tree. - Carvalho
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Oak. - Almeida
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: After the city of Almeida in Portugal. - Costa
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Rib. - Ribeiro
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Small creek or by the river. - Fernandes
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Patronymic form of Fernando. - Montes
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Hills. - Noronha
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: From Noreña. - Lopes
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Wolf. - Esteves
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Son of Stephen. - Carreira
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Carter. - Barreto
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Hat maker. - Moniz
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Son of Munio. - Luz
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Light. - Marques
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Son of Marcus. - Cavaco
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Log. - Rodrigues
Origin: Portuguese/Spanish
Meaning: Son of Rodrigo. - Martins
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Of Mars or warlike. - Araujo
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Derived from the autonomous region in Galicia. - Barbosa
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: A southwestern Galician surname. - Cardoso/Cardozo
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: A Sephardi Jewish surname. - Maia
Origin: Spanish/Basque
Meaning: High meseta. - Madruga
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: To get up early. - Tupinambás
Origin: Indigenous Brazilian
Meaning: After the American Indian tribe who lived along the Brazilian coast from the Guanabara Bay to the mouth of the Amazon River. - Bocaiúva
Origin: Indigenous Brazilian
Meaning: After the American Indian tribe who lived in the region of Minas Gerais. - Cuoto
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: Topographic name meaning “enclosed pasture.” - Braga
Origin: Portuguese
Meaning: After a city in northern Portugal.
