English-Brazilian names
What are English-Brazilian names like?
Anderson comes from an English surname meaning “son of Andrew”. Douglas comes through a Scottish surname linked to “dark river”, and both names appear among residents in Brazil’s 2022 census.
Brazil fell for English names in three waves: the Nelsons and Wilsons of mid-century, the Andersons and Vanessas of the 1980s, and the Kevins and Emillys of the 2000s. Some names came over intact, some were respelled the way Brazil hears them (Jeferson, Maicon, Deivid), and a whole family was coined at home on the English -son pattern (Adilson, Wanderson, Ederson). Many of them ride on K, W and Y, letters the Portuguese alphabet only made official in 2009. Every name here is real, counted in Brazil's own census.
Where these names rank todayBrazil
Part ofBrazilian names · Latin American names
Names that work in two languagesEnglish and Portuguese
Adilson Brazilian coinage on the English "-son" pattern; part of the first home-grown -son generation, a 1960s and 70s wave alongside Gilson and Edilson
Alisson variant of Allison, from Alice, "noble"; in Brazil overwhelmingly a boys' name, a 1990s wave spelling with two esses
Anderson surname, "son of Andrew"; Brazil turned it into a first name and made it a defining boy name of the 1980s and 90s
Charles "man," from the Germanic Karl (Proto-Germanic *karlaz)
Cleiton Clayton written the Brazilian way, "clay settlement" underneath; in Brazil the phonetic spelling outnumbers the original almost ten to one
Daiane the Brazilian spelling of Diane, the divine huntress Diana underneath; a 1990s Brazilian signature
Deivid David written the way Brazil hears the English pronunciation, "beloved" underneath; a 2000s spelling still rising at the last census
Denilson Brazilian coinage, Denis plus the English "-son"; an 80s and 90s wave name
Douglas dark river
Ederson Brazilian coinage, Éder plus the English "-son"; an 80s name from the -son workshop
Edilson Brazilian "-son" coinage of the 1960s and 70s; sibling of Adilson and Gilson in the first home-grown wave
Edson son of Ede (English surname); famously borne by Pelé, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento and named after Thomas Edison; a Brazilian classic of the 1950s through 70s
Elaine form of Helen, "shining light"; Arthurian romance in England, and one of Brazil's defining girl names of the 1970s and 80s
Elton from an English place name, "Ella's town"; Elton John's worldwide fame pushed it up Brazil's 1980s charts
Emerson son of Emery
Emilly the Brazilian double-l take on Emily, Roman Aemilia underneath; the 2000s spelling of choice
Everton an English place name, "boar town", carried worldwide by Everton FC; Brazilian parents took the club name to the cradle through the 80s and 90s
Gilson Brazilian "-son" coinage, Gil plus the English -son; a 1960s and 70s classic of the first home-grown wave
Jackson "son of Jack," a surname built on the medieval everyman form of John; presidential, bluesy, and frontier-flavored, it led the 2000s surname wave for boys and spun off spellings from Jaxon to Jaxson. Jack comes free
Jailson Brazilian "-son" coinage of the 1970s and 80s, one of the home-grown generation built on the English pattern
Jeferson Brazilian spelling of Jefferson, "son of Geoffrey"; written the way Brazil hears it, and almost five times more common there than the double-f original
Jefferson surname meaning "son of Geoffrey"; it crossed to Brazil on the surname-name wave, where the respelling Jeferson now outnumbers it
Jenifer the Cornish form of Guinevere, usually translated "white phantom"; Brazil's one-n spelling, bigger there than Jennifer itself
Jennifer white wave, fair one
Jessica probably adapted by Shakespeare from Hebrew Iscah, meaning to behold
Joyce from Old French Josse, ultimately the Breton name Iudoc meaning 'lord'
Karen Danish short form of Katherine, traditionally associated with "pure"; the original etymology is uncertain
Kelly from the Irish surname O Ceallaigh, traditionally 'bright-headed'
Kelvin from the River Kelvin in Scotland, of uncertain Celtic origin; Brazil's 2000s wave pick, a Kevin with an L of its own
Kevin handsome, beloved
Lilian variant of Lillian (probably a diminutive of Elizabeth, or an elaborated Lily); a Brazilian classic of the 1970s and 80s, one l lighter than the original
Maicon the way Brazil writes Michael, spelled as it sounds; a 1990s favorite that turned an American sound into a fully Brazilian name
Nelson English surname meaning 'son of Neil'
Pamela all honey
Robson English surname, "son of Rob"; rare as a first name in England, but Brazil adopted it wholesale in the 1970s and 80s
Sheila Irish form of Cecilia, traditionally "blind" (disputed); a Brazilian favorite of the 1970s and 80s
Shirley bright meadow
Sidnei the Brazilian spelling of Sidney, an English surname underneath; a 1960s and 70s Brazilian standard
Suelen a fusion of Sue Ellen into one name, spelled the way Brazil hears it; the Dallas years made it an 80s and 90s hit
Vanessa butterfly
Wallace Scottish surname meaning 'Welshman' or 'foreigner', from Norman French 'waleis'
Wanderson Brazilian coinage, Wander (as in Wanderley) plus the English "-son"; a 1990s name from the -son workshop
Wanessa a W-respelling of Vanessa, Jonathan Swift's invented name; a 1980s Brazilian variant
Washington "settlement of Wassa's people", the first American president's surname; Brazil wore it through the 20th century, including a president of its own, Washington Luís
Wellington an English place name, famous as the Duke of Wellington's title; Brazil made the Iron Duke's name a boys' favorite of the 1980s and 90s
Wemerson a Brazilian spelling of Emerson with an added W
Wendel the old Germanic name behind the surname Wendell; Brazil's spelling has been climbing since the 1990s
Wesley "western meadow," an Old English place name; it became a given name honoring Methodism's founder John Wesley, and Brazil embraced it in the 1980s and 90s
Willian a spelling variant of William, from Germanic wil, will/desire; the standard Brazilian spelling, more common there than William itself
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