Portuguese and Brazilian names
What are Portuguese and Brazilian names like?
Bento is a Portuguese short form of Benedito. Davi is the Brazilian Portuguese form of David.
Portuguese and Brazilian names favor open, singable vowels, Beatriz, Rafael, Mariana, Tiago, with a warmth that carries equally well from Lisbon's hills to a Rio beach. Many are Old Testament or saints' names softened over centuries into something distinctly Lusophone.
Where these names rank todayBrazil
Part ofBrazilian names · European names · Latin American names
Names that work in two languagesEnglish and Portuguese · Spanish and Portuguese
Alice noble, truthful
Anselmo form of Anselm used in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, from Germanic ansi, "god", and helm, "helmet, protection"
Arquimedes the Portuguese form of Archimedes, from Greek archos, "master", and medea, "plans, advice, cunning"
Arthur of unknown meaning, possibly Celtic artos "bear" (legendary King Arthur)
Augusto Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Augustus, 'exalted, venerable', from Latin augeo, 'to increase'
Aurora dawn
Baltazar variant of Balthazar, a traditional name for one of the three wise men who visited Jesus; from an Akkadian name meaning "may Bel protect the king", with Bel referring to the Babylonian god Marduk
Beatriz she who brings happiness
Bento blessed
Bernardo brave as a bear
Breno the Portuguese form of Brennus, a Celtic name adapted to Latin, possibly meaning "king, prince" or "raven"; borne by the Gaulish leader who sacked Rome
Caio Portuguese form of the Roman name Gaius, of disputed origin, traditionally linked to Latin gaudere, to rejoice; short, bright, and one of Brazil's favorite boys' names of the last generation
Camila Portuguese form of Camilla
Carolina feminine form of Carolus, the Latin form of Charles, from the Germanic word karl, "man"; North Carolina and South Carolina take their names from King Charles I
Cauã hawk, falcon, from the Tupi kaûã; a modern Brazilian favorite
Cecília blind one (patron saint of music)
Davi Brazilian Portuguese form of David, traditionally "beloved"
Eduarda the Portuguese feminine form of Eduardo, built from Old English ead, meaning wealth or fortune, and weard, meaning guard
Eduardo Portuguese form of Edward, built from Old English ead, meaning wealth or fortune, and weard, meaning guard
Eloá Brazilian feminine name taken from Eloah, a Hebrew word for God (per Portuguese Wiktionary; the references carry no fuller history)
Enzo an older Italian name of uncertain origin, also used as a short form of Vincenzo or Lorenzo
Fausto the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Faustus, a Roman name added after the personal and family names, meaning "lucky, promising good fortune"
Felipe Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese form of Philip, "friend of horses" or "lover of horses"
Fernanda Portuguese feminine form of Ferdinand; the Germanic elements are debated, so no single adventurous or bold translation is certain
Fernando adventurous, bold journey
Gabriel God is my strength
Gabriela God is my strength
Gael Also used as a Breton name and written Gaël in French; its exact origin is uncertain. In Brazil’s 2022 census, most people named Gael were very young children.
Heitor steadfast (Portuguese form of Hector)
Helena form of Helen used in Latin; the original Greek meaning is uncertain, and "light" or "torch" is a traditional explanation
Heloísa healthy, wide
Henrique home ruler
Iara lady of the water (Tupi-Guarani mythological water spirit)
Iberê master of the canoe (Tupi word-name)
Isabela God is my oath
Isadora gift of Isis
João God is gracious
Juliana youthful
Kauã from Tupi kaûã, traditionally glossed as hawk or falcon; a spelling sibling of Cauã and one of the indigenous revival names Brazilian parents embraced in the 2000s
Larissa cheerful, citadel
Laura laurel, victory
Lorena from Loreno, laurel crown
Luna moon
Luísa famous in battle, traditionally
Maiara from Tupi-Guarani; scholars reading Ma'e-îara derive it as owner of things or riches, while other treatments gloss it as wise elder or great-grandmother
Maitê beloved, or a contraction of Maria and Teresa (Portuguese form of Maite)
Malu contraction of Maria Luísa (or Maria Lúcia); a long-beloved Brazilian nickname now given as a name in its own right
Manuela God is with us
Mariana a Roman feminine form of Marianus, from Marius, whose origin is uncertain; later also interpreted as Maria and Ana combined
Matheus gift of God
Miguel who is like God
Moema indigenous heroine of Brazilian legend (from the Caramuru epic)
Murilo Brazilian Portuguese name from the Spanish surname Murillo, "little wall"
Nayara Spanish and Portuguese form of Naiara, the Basque name of the city of Nájera (Arabic in origin), where a 12th-century Marian apparition was reported
Otávio Brazilian Portuguese form of Octavius, a Roman family name from Latin octavus, "eighth"
Pedro rock
Peri indigenous warrior hero of the novel O Guarani
Potira flower (Tupi word, from indigenous legend)
Pérola the Portuguese word for 'pearl', used directly as a feminine given name in Brazil
Rafaela God has healed
Ricardo brave ruler
Rodrigo famous ruler
Sofia wisdom
Tatiane Brazilian form of Tatiana, from the Roman family name Tatius, of unknown meaning; borne by a 3rd-century saint
Thaís possibly 'bandage' in Greek; the name of a companion of Alexander the Great (Portuguese form of Thaïs)
Theo a short form of Theodore, "gift of God"; French Théo comes from Théodore
Thiago supplanter (Portuguese form of James/Diego)
Ubirajara lord of the spear (Tupi hero of José de Alencar's novel)
Valentina strong, healthy
Vicente Spanish and Portuguese form of Vincent, from Latin vinco, 'to conquer'
Vinícius wine, of the vine (poet Vinicius de Moraes)
Yasmin jasmine flower
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