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.

1. Mota

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Someone who lives near a fort.

1. Lima

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Someone who lives near a river.

1. Ferreira

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Blacksmith.

1. Batista

Origin: Spanish/Portuguese Meaning: Baptist.

1. Gomes

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Man.

1. Rocha

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Rock or boulder.

1. Alves

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Son of Alvaro.

1. Macedo

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Apple grove.

1. Schmidt

Origin: German Meaning: Blacksmith.

1. Correia

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Leather belt-maker.

1. Ramos

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: A person who lives near a forest.

1. Morais

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Blackberry.

1. Azevedo

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Holly.

1. 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.

1. Moreira

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Mulberry tree.

1. Santos

Origin: Spanish/Portuguese Meaning: Holy.

1. Melo

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: A person who came from Melo, Portugal.

1. Neves

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Snow.

1. Teixeira

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Yew tree.

1. Campos

Origin: Portuguese/Spanish Meaning: Countryside.

1. Sousa

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Rocks or stones; after the Sousa river in Portugal.

1. Oliveira

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Of the olive tree.

1. Pereira

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Pear tree.

1. Carvalho

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Oak.

1. Almeida

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: After the city of Almeida in Portugal.

1. Costa

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Rib.

1. Ribeiro

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Small creek or by the river.

1. Fernandes

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Patronymic form of Fernando.

1. Montes

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Hills.

1. Noronha

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: From Noreña.

1. Lopes

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Wolf.

1. Esteves

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Son of Stephen.

1. Carreira

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Carter.

1. Barreto

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Hat maker.

1. Moniz

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Son of Munio.

1. Luz

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Light.

1. Marques

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Son of Marcus.

1. Cavaco

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Log.

1. Rodrigues

Origin: Portuguese/Spanish Meaning: Son of Rodrigo.

1. Martins

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Of Mars or warlike.

1. Araujo

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Derived from the autonomous region in Galicia.

1. Barbosa

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: A southwestern Galician surname.

1. Cardoso/Cardozo

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: A Sephardi Jewish surname.

1. Maia

Origin: Spanish/Basque Meaning: High meseta.

1. Madruga

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: To get up early.

1. 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.

1. Bocaiúva

Origin: Indigenous Brazilian Meaning: After the American Indian tribe who lived in the region of Minas Gerais.

1. Cuoto

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: Topographic name meaning “enclosed pasture.”

1. Braga

Origin: Portuguese Meaning: After a city in northern Portugal.