Portuguese Last Names: A Comprehensive Guide

Looking for the meaning behind a Portuguese last name? This comprehensive guide explores the rich history and diverse origins of some of the most common and unique Portuguese surnames. Discover the fascinating stories behind these names, their cultural significance, and the insights they provide into the tapestry of Portuguese ancestry.
1. **Almeida:** From the place name "Oliveira", meaning "olive grove".
2. **Alves:** Meaning "son of Álvaro", a Germanic name meaning "wise elf".
3. **Amorim:** Meaning "cork oak grove", referring to a type of tree common in Portugal.
4. **Andrade:** Meaning "rocky land", from the place name "Andrade".
5. **Antunes:** Meaning "son of Antão", a variant of Anthony.
6. **Azevedo:** Meaning "olive grove" or "place of olive trees".
7. **Baptista:** Meaning "baptized", referring to the Christian sacrament.
8. **Barros:** Meaning "muddy land" or "swampy land", from the place name "Barros".
9. **Batista:** A variant of Baptista.
10. **Beirão:** From the region of Beira in Portugal, meaning "river".
11. **Belchior:** Meaning "bringer of light", a variant of Melchior.
12. **Benevides:** Meaning "good neighbour", a combination of the words "bem" (good) and "vizinho" (neighbor).
13. **Bernardo:** Meaning "brave as a bear", from the Germanic name "Bern".
14. **Borges:** Meaning "Burgundy", referring to a region in France.
15. **Cabral:** Meaning "goat", from the Latin word "caper".
16. **Caldeira:** Meaning "cauldron", a type of cooking pot.
17. **Campos:** Meaning "fields", from the Latin word "campus".
18. **Cardoso:** Meaning "thistle", referring to a type of plant.
19. **Carvalho:** Meaning "oak tree", from the Latin word "quercus".
20. **Castilho:** Meaning "castle", from the Latin word "castellum".
21. **Castro:** Meaning "camp" or "fortress", from the Latin word "castrum".
22. **Catarino:** Meaning "pure", from the Latin word "katharos".
23. **Cavalcante:** Meaning "horse rider", from the Latin words "caballus" (horse) and "cante" (sing).
24. **Cunha:** Meaning "wedge" or "corner", from the Latin word "cuneus".
25. **Da Costa:** Meaning "from the coast", referring to the coastline of Portugal.
26. **Da Silva:** Meaning "from the forest", referring to the forests of Portugal.
27. **Dias:** Meaning "days", a common occupational surname for someone who kept track of time.
28. **Domingues:** Meaning "son of Domingos", a Portuguese form of Domingo (Sunday).
29. **Fernandes:** Meaning "son of Fernando", a Germanic name meaning "peaceful journey".
30. **Figueiredo:** Meaning "fig tree", from the Latin word "ficus".
31. **Ferreira:** Meaning "blacksmith", from the Latin word "ferrum" (iron).
32. **Fonseca:** Meaning "spring" or "fountain", from the Latin word "fons".
33. **Freitas:** Meaning "cold", from the Latin word "frigus".
34. **Gomes:** Meaning "son of Gomes", a Germanic name meaning "shield" or "protector".
35. **Gonçalves:** Meaning "son of Gonçalo", a Germanic name meaning "battle" or "war".
36. **Guedes:** Meaning "son of Guedes", a Germanic name meaning "god" or "divine".
37. **Guilherme:** Meaning "protector" or "helmet", from the Germanic name "Wilhelm".
38. **Lopes:** Meaning "son of Lopo", a Germanic name meaning "wolf".
39. **Machado:** Meaning "axe", from the Latin word "macha".
40. **Magalhães:** Meaning "great houses", referring to large, fortified houses.
41. **Marques:** Meaning "son of Martim", a Portuguese form of Martin.
42. **Martins:** Meaning "son of Martin", a Germanic name meaning "war god".
43. **Mendes:** Meaning "son of Mendes", a Germanic name meaning "mind" or "wisdom".
44. **Miranda:** Meaning "to look out", from the Latin word "miranda".
45. **Monteiro:** Meaning "hunter", from the Latin word "mons" (mountain).
46. **Moreira:** Meaning "mulberry tree", from the Latin word "morus".
47. **Nunes:** Meaning "son of Nuno", a Germanic name meaning "bold" or "brave".
48. **Oliveira:** Meaning "olive grove", from the Latin word "oliva".
49. **Pereira:** Meaning "pear tree", from the Latin word "pirus".
50. **Pinto:** Meaning "painted", from the Latin word "pinctus".
51. **Queiroz:** Meaning "cheese", from the Latin word "caseus".
52. **Reis:** Meaning "kings", from the Latin word "rex".
53. **Ribeiro:** Meaning "riverbank", from the Latin word "ripa".
54. **Rodrigues:** Meaning "son of Rodrigo", a Germanic name meaning "famous ruler".
55. **Rosa:** Meaning "rose", from the Latin word "rosa".
56. **Santos:** Meaning "saints", from the Latin word "sanctus".
57. **Silva:** Meaning "forest", from the Latin word "silva".
58. **Sousa:** Meaning "pig", from the Latin word "sus".
59. **Teixeira:** Meaning "weaver", from the Latin word "texere".
60. **Torres:** Meaning "towers", from the Latin word "turris".
61. **Valente:** Meaning "brave", from the Latin word "valens".
62. **Vaz:** Meaning "empty", from the Latin word "vacuus".
63. **Viana:** Meaning "old road", from the Latin word "via".
64. **Vieira:** Meaning "old man", from the Latin word "vetus".
65. **Vilas Boas:** Meaning "good towns", from the Portuguese words "vila" (town) and "boa" (good).
66. **Vilela:** Meaning "little town", from the Portuguese words "vila" (town) and "ela" (small).
67. **Xavier:** Meaning "new house", from the Basque word "etxe berri".
68. **Zarco:** Meaning "blue", from the Arabic word "zarq".
69. **Zenaide:** Meaning "born of Zeus", from the Greek name "Zenon".
70. **Zephyr:** Meaning "west wind", from the Greek word "Zephyros".
71. **Zimmerman:** Meaning "carpenter", from the German words "Zimmer" (room) and "Mann" (man).