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 its inhabitants, as well as their jobs or the place where they lived and which have now become part of their own identity.
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
Patronymic surname that derives from the proper name ‘Telo’, which refers to ‘son of Telo’.
13. Pereira
It is both an ornamental and occupational surname, it means ‘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 gold, a possible nickname for people with blonde 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 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 that means ‘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, making it a patronymic surname meaning ‘son of Vasco’.
25. Martins
It derives from the Latin ‘Martinus’ which means ‘consecrated to the god Mars’.
26. Preto
In Portuguese it means ‘black’, so it could have been a nickname for people with black hair.
27. Baros
It comes from the word ‘barros’ which means ‘clay’.
28. Azevedo
It is a toponymic surname that refers to 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. People
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 male 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 ‘Castra Caesaria’, a designation used in ancient Rome and means ‘Caesar’s camp’.
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 the same.
41. Gonçalves
It is a patronymic surname for ‘son of Gonzalo’, it originates from the Germanic ‘gonsalvus’ which means ‘he who is prepared to fight’.
