50 Brazilian Last Names That’ll Make You Wanna See The Rio Carnival

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!

1. Silva
   Origin: Portuguese
   Meaning: Forest or woodland.
2. Mota
   Origin: Portuguese
   Meaning: Someone who lives near a fort.
3. Lima
   Origin: Portuguese
   Meaning: Someone who lives near a river.
4. Ferreira
   Origin: Portuguese
   Meaning: Blacksmith.
5. Batista
   Origin: Spanish/Portuguese
   Meaning: Baptist.
6. Gomes
   Origin: Portuguese
   Meaning: Man.
7. Rocha
   Origin: Portuguese
   Meaning: Rock or boulder.
8. Alves
   Origin: Portuguese
   Meaning: Son of Alvaro.
9. Macedo
   Origin: Portuguese
   Meaning: Apple grove.
10. Schmidt
    Origin: German
    Meaning: Blacksmith.

    

11. Correia
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Leather belt-maker.
12. Ramos
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: A person who lives near a forest.
13. Morais
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Blackberry.
14. Azevedo
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Holly.
15. 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.
16. Moreira
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Mulberry tree.
17. Santos
    Origin: Spanish/Portuguese
    Meaning: Holy.
18. Melo
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: A person who came from Melo, Portugal.
19. Neves
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Snow.
20. Teixeira
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Yew tree.
21. Campos
    Origin: Portuguese/Spanish
    Meaning: Countryside.
22. Sousa
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Rocks or stones; after the Sousa river in Portugal.
23. Oliveira
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Of the olive tree.
24. Pereira
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Pear tree.
25. Carvalho
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Oak.
26. Almeida
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: After the city of Almeida in Portugal.
27. Costa
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Rib.
28. Ribeiro
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Small creek or by the river.
29. Fernandes
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Patronymic form of Fernando.
30. Montes
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Hills.
31. Noronha
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: From Noreña.
32. Lopes
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Wolf.
33. Esteves
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Son of Stephen.
34. Carreira
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Carter.
35. Barreto
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Hat maker.
36. Moniz
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Son of Munio.
37. Luz
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Light.
38. Marques
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Son of Marcus.
39. Cavaco
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Log.
40. Rodrigues
    Origin: Portuguese/Spanish
    Meaning: Son of Rodrigo.
41. Martins
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Of Mars or warlike.
42. Araujo
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Derived from the autonomous region in Galicia.
43. Barbosa
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: A southwestern Galician surname.
44. Cardoso/Cardozo
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: A Sephardi Jewish surname.
45. Maia
    Origin: Spanish/Basque
    Meaning: High meseta.
46. Madruga
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: To get up early.
47. 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.
48. Bocaiúva
    Origin: Indigenous Brazilian
    Meaning: After the American Indian tribe who lived in the region of Minas Gerais.
49. Cuoto
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: Topographic name meaning “enclosed pasture.”
50. Braga
    Origin: Portuguese
    Meaning: After a city in northern Portugal.