The 110 most common surnames in Portugal (and their meaning)

Surnames determine the cultural evolution of a country or a region, showing the roots of their inhabitants, as well as their trades or the place where they lived and that have now become part of their identity own.

In this sense, one of the countries with the most traditional and characteristic surnames is Portugal, thanks to its cultural firmness and originality. In the following lines you will find a list of the most frequent surnames among the Portuguese.

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The most frequent surnames in Portugal

This is a compilation with the 110 most common surnames in Portugal, which reflect the cultural particularities of the Portuguese nation.

1. Silva

It is one of the most popular surnames in Portugal, it is a toponymic surname, derived from the Latin 'silva' which means 'forest'.

2. Nunes

It is a patronymic surname, it originates from the Latin 'Nonius' which means 'the ninth son'.

3. Alfonso

It is the variant of Alfonso in Portugal, it comes from the Germanic 'Adelfonsus' which means 'noble clever'.

4. Pinheiro

It is a toponymic surname for people who lived near the pines.

5. Saints

It is a hypocoristic surname, given to people who were born on All Saints' Day.

6. Rodrigues

Patronymic surname, being the Portuguese variant of Rodrigo, meaning 'son of Rodrigo'.

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7. Coutinho

Its meaning is 'Coto' and it is believed to be a surname of the nobility.

8. sarmento

It means 'branch' and could have been a nickname for tall and thin people.

9. Ferreira

It derives from the Latin 'ferrum' meaning 'iron', making it an occupational surname for blacksmiths.

10. Almada

It is derived from the Arabic word 'almadena' which means 'the ore that is mine'.

11. Aguilar

This surname comes from the Latin 'aquilare' which refers to the place where eagles live.

12. teles

Patronymic surname that derives from the proper name 'Telo', referring to 'son of Telo'.

13. Pereira

It is both an ornamental and occupational surname, meaning 'pear tree'.

14. Lousada

It is a geographical surname that was used for those who came from Casa Lousada in Galicia.

15. Golden

It is the Portuguese form of dorado, a possible nickname for people with blond hair or things painted gold.

16. Macias

It comes from the Hebrew name 'Mattityah' which means 'the gift of Yahweh'.

17. Coast

It is a toponymic surname for people who lived near the sea coasts.

18. Diniz

It is the Portuguese variant of the name 'Denis', a Greek masculine given name meaning 'the follower of Zeus'.

19. Fonseca

It is derived from two Latin words: 'fons' which means 'spring' and 'siccus' which means 'dry'. It is a toponymic surname for those who lived near a dry spring.

20. Gaia

It is a geographical surname for people who came from Vila Nova de Gaia, in Portugal.

21. Oliveira

It is a toponymic surname for those who lived or worked in the olive fields.

22. Alvares

Patronymic surname meaning 'son of Alvar or Alvaro'.

23. Andrade

It comes from the Germanic 'Hardrade' which refers to a person with beautiful hair.

24. Vaz

It is a Portuguese variant of Vásquez, so it is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Basque'.

25. Martin's

It derives from the Latin 'Martinus' which means 'consecrated to the god Mars'.

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26. black

In Portuguese it means 'black', so it could have been a nickname for people with black hair.

27. bars

It comes from the word 'barros' which means 'clay'.

28. Azevedo

It is a toponymic surname that refers to the holly forests.

29. Sousa

Another of the most popular surnames, it is derived from the Latin word 'saxa' which means 'rock'. It is also a toponymic surname for those who came from the Sousa River in Portugal.

30. Vala

It is a geographical surname for people who are from Vala in Portugal.

31. Furtado

It is a variant of 'Stolen', so its meaning is 'stolen'.

32. person

It comes from the Latin 'person' which can have the same meaning, but also means 'mask'.

33. Fernandes

It has a Germanic origin, from the masculine name 'Fridnand', which means 'son of Fernando'.

34. Belmonte

It is a variant of the old Spanish adjective 'bellmonte' which means 'beautiful mountain'.

35. Carvalho

It is of Portuguese origin and means 'oak'.

36. Caceres

It comes from the Latin term 'Cstra Caesaria', a designation used in ancient Rome and means 'camp of Caesar'.

37. Lopes

It means 'son of Lope' and originates from the Latin 'lupus' which means 'wolf'.

38. Pepper

It is the Portuguese word for chili or red peppers. Possibly a nickname for those who cooked with these ingredients.

39. Gouveia

It is believed to be a geographical surname for those who came from the areas called Gouveia.

40. Osorio

It derives from the altin 'ursus' which means 'bear', being a Portuguese variant of it.

41. Goncalves

It is a patronymic surname for 'son of Gonzalo', it originates from the Germanic 'gonsalvus' which means 'he who prepares to fight'.

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42. Black

It is a descriptive surname for both dark-haired and dark-skinned people.

43. lime

It is a toponymic surname for people who came from the Lima River located in Portugal.

44. Moucada

It is a variant for the surname Montcada or Moncada, which is a geographical surname that refers to those who come from Moncada, in Valencia.

45. Magalhaes

It is a geographical name for people who come from the Magallanes regions in Portugal.

46. Caetano

It derives from the Latin name 'Caius' which means 'he who is cheerful'.

47. Gale

It is a word in Portuguese that indicates 'galley' or 'galleon'. Referring to warships.

48. Morões

It comes from the Latin term 'Mons Rubeus' which means 'red mount'.

49. Ribeiro

It means 'stream' or 'stream of water'. So it is a toponymic surname for those who lived near streams.

50. Carneiro

It comes from the Latin 'carnariu' which refers to rams.

51. Montesino

It comes from the Spanish adjective that refers to 'montañés', that is, the people who lived in the mountains.

52. Duarte

It is a patronymic surname that means 'son of Eduardo'.

53. holy

It is a geographical surname to refer to people who come from Santa in Portugal.

54. star

Its origin comes from the Latin 'stella' which means 'star'.

55. slim

It is a very common surname that refers to the thinness of people.

56. Galioto

It is a variant of 'Galiote' whose meaning is 'corsair' or 'pirate'.

57. Almeida

It has its origins in the Arabic word 'al-ma ida' which translates as 'the plateau'.

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58. Lombroso

It is a surname of Jewish origin, it means 'enlightened', referring to a light of spiritual origin.

59. Gandara

It means 'barren land' or 'land of dry sand'. It is a toponymic surname for those who come from Gandara in Portugal.

60. Medeiros

There are several places with this name in Portugal, so it is a geographical surname. In turn means, 'pile of sheaves'.

61. I paint

It is a Portuguese word that means 'chick or duck', as a variant of Spanish.

62. Lemos

It is a toponymic surname that comes from Mount Monforte de Lemos, located in the province of Lugo.

63. Brown

It is an originally Spanish surname that derives from the Latin 'pardus' a reference to leopards.

64. masks

It is a toponymic surname for people who came from the Mascarenhas region.

65. Alves

It is both a first name and a last name. It comes from the Latin 'albus' which means 'white'.

66. meira

It is believed that it is a toponymic surname that refers to the Meira lagoon, the beginning of the Miño river.

67. open

It has two origins, one related to 'Abraao' which is the Portuguese variant of Abraham and the other related to the place of Abreu in Portugal.

68. Pimentel

It is a variant of the surname Pimenta.

69. Barboza

It is a variant of the name Barbosa, it is a toponymic surname to refer to those who come from a type of native plant.

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70. Days

It is a patronymic surname derived from Diago and Diego. So it means 'son of Diago'.

71. Coelho

In Portuguese it means 'rabbit'. It could have been a nickname for those who hunted rabbits.

72. Castro

It comes from the Latin 'castrum' which refers to castles or fortified buildings.

73. Da Costa

It is a variant of Costa, only with the prefix 'da', which refers to someone who comes from a coast.

74. Teixeira

It is a variant of the word 'Teixeira', which means 'yew' in Portuguese.

75. Two saints

It is the Portuguese translation of 'of the saints'. Surely a nickname for those born on All Saints' Day.

76. wind

It is the Portuguese variant for the word 'wind'.

77. Madeira

It is an occupational surname that refers to carpenters, it means 'wood'.

78. Correia

It comes from the Castilian 'strap', the way to describe belts or suspenders.

79. ships

It is a toponymic surname for people who come from Naves, a place in Portugal.

80. melo

It is a geographical surname, from the Melo region located in Sierra de la Estrella.

81. Nazario

It comes from the Latin 'Nazarius' which means 'the one who comes from Nazareth'.

82. Mendes

It is the Portuguese variant of the surname Mendez, which comes from Galicia. It means 'he who amends'.

83. Walls

It is derived from the Portuguese word 'parede' which refers to 'wall'.

84. Net

It is the Portuguese variant of Nero, its meaning is 'grandfather's son'.

85. New

It is the Portuguese word for 'new'.

86. orta

It is a variant for the Portuguese word 'Horta' which refers to orchards.

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87. Xavier

It is a surname that derives from the Basque word 'Etxeberria' which means 'the new house'.

88. Pinho

It is a Portuguese variant of 'pine', so it refers to pine trees and wood.

89. Villela

It is derived as a diminutive of 'vila' which means 'farm' or 'property'.

90. cunha

It is the Portuguese word for 'wedge' and is a very popular name in Portugal and is derived from Galician.

91. Coval

It is derived from the Portuguese word 'cova' which translates as 'hollow'.

92. Bush

It is a word in Portuguese to refer to forests or thickets.

93. Troy

It is the Portuguese variant to refer to the ancient city of Troy, a Greek name that means 'the one who offends'.

94. Machado

It is a Portuguese term to refer to axes

95. Souto

It is a toponymic surname for people who lived near groves.

96. bouquets

Its origin is from the Latin 'ramus' which means 'branch' or 'herbs'.

97. Sequeira

Means 'arid land' in Portuguese. It is a toponymic surname for those who come from Sequeira in Portugal.

98. Tavares

It is the Portuguese variant of the Spanish surname ‘tabarés’ which means ‘he who lives far away’.

99. Tab

It is the Portuguese translation for 'eyelashes'. A nickname for those who have very noticeable eyelashes.

100. Freitas

It is a word in Portuguese that refers to 'broken ground' or 'broken stones'.

101. warrior

It is the Portuguese form for 'warrior' or 'soldier'.

102. Simões

It is a patronymic surname, derived from the name 'Simón', which means 'son of Simon'.

103. Serene

It is a reference for serenity and calm. A nickname for people who kept their composure at all times.

104. cross

It literally refers to the crosses, so it is a place name for people who live near crosses.

105. Joaquim

It derives from the masculine Hebrew name 'Yehoyakin' which translates as 'Yahweh will establish'.

106. The pig

It translates as 'strands of hair' and could be a nickname for those who had long and abundant hair.

107. Veiga

It is derived from the word 'vega', which refers to lands of great fertility.

108. Lourenco

It is both a surname and a masculine given name. It is derived from the Latin 'Laurentius', a name for people who came from Laurentum.

109. Baptist

It comes from the Spanish name Bautista, which refers to baptisms and John the Baptist.

110. Borges

It is a toponymic surname of French origin, it can also come from the English 'burge' which means 'the one who lives in a fortified city'.