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Searching for Brazilian baby names to honor your heritage, a life-changing trip, or childhood dream of a soccer career?
Covering a vast swathe of South America, Brazil boasts a culture that’s both diverse and fascinating.
You might even say ✨ vibrant ✨.
And with influences from Portugal, Spain, and even some French and Latin roots, Brazilian baby names are just as enthralling.
We’ve curated 85 inspiring choices from Ademir to Zina sure to give your future little filho or filha a splash of that irresistible Brazilian energy.
Believe us, it’s a vibe you want a slice of.
If you know, you know.
How do Brazilian last names work?
You might have noticed that Brazilian surnames tend to be pretty long.
So, why do Brazilians have two last names?
Traditionally, children in Brazil take both their mother’s and their father’s surname.
Usually, mama’s name comes first.
So, if your mother’s surname was Silva Dominguez, and your father’s was Oliveira Ramos, your surname would be Dominguez Ramos.
The practice is rooted in the Portuguese naming tradition, where men and women often carry their paternal surnames.
Meaning Dominguez Ramos is actually a combination of two grandfather’s names from both sides of the family tree.
And when women get married, it’s tradition to replace their maternal surname with the paternal part of their husband’s surname.
Simple, right?
As for the most popular Brazilian last name, it’s none other than:
- Silva: Meaning “forest” or “wood”.
Fun fact: to get around these lengthy titles, apelidos (nicknames) became a core part of Brazilian culture.
Since these are still used as terms of affection today, we’ve included some of the most common apelidos below.
What are some popular names in Brazil?
Speaking of popular, you’ll probably recognize many of these top-running Brazilian names for boys and girls.
For girls, the current top 10 includes:
- Adriana: Meaning “from Adria”. Adriana Lima’s iconic status as the longest-running Victoria’s Secret model is probably the reason behind this Latin name’s top spot. No comparisons here, your little one will have all the making to forge a legendary path of their own.
- Aline: Another Latin variation, but this time of the German name Adelina. It means “noble”.
- Ana: Meaning “favored grace”. Hebrew in origin, Spanish in style.
- Antonia: Meaning “priceless” or “praiseworthy”. We love this name for an unapologetic queen. No high chairs here, only thrones.
- Fernanda: Meaning “brave journey”. Inspired by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.
- Francisca: Meaning “free one” or “from France” – the roots may be French, but the subtle Brazilian flavor cannot be denied.
- Juliana: Meaning “youthful”. Related to one of the most ancient Roman names, Julius. As for nicknames, how about Ju or Juju.
- Marcia: Another ancient Roman name meaning “warlike”.
- Maria: Meaning “of the sea”, “beloved”, or “rebellious”. A name as diverse as Brazil itself. We love its nickname Malu.
- Patricia: Meaning “noble”. How cute is Pati?
And for boys, the list showcases some of the most common Brazilian names, which are often Portuguese forms of [biblical names] like John (João), Mark (Marcos), and Peter (Pedro).
- Antonio: Meaning “priceless”. An artful balance to Antonia.
- Carlos: Meaning “free man”, you’ll find no shortage of Carlãos in Brazil.
- Francisco: Meaning “free”.
- Lucas: Meaning “bringer of light”.
- Luiz: Meaning “famous in battle”. Sometimes spelled Luis.
- José: Meaning “God will give”. Rooted in the Hebrew name Joseph. Zé makes for a sweet pet name.
- João: A Portuguese variation on John meaning “God is gracious”.
- Marcos: Meaning “dedicated to Mars”. As in the Roman God of war and military. One badass baby. How’s Marquinhos for a nickname?
- Paulo: Meaning “humble and small”.
- Pedro: A Greek boy’s name meaning “rock”.
Brazilian girl names
Brazilian female names can be the perfect combination of beautiful and strong, and often have a musical feel.
Here are some of the best:
- Alandra: Meaning “protector of mankind”.
- Alazna: Meaning “miracle”. The feminine form of Alonzo.
- Alice: It sounds English, it has German origins, and it’s on the rise in Brazil.
- Augustinha: Meaning “to increase”. This is one of many names on the list which can trace its roots back to Latin.
- Aurea: Meaning “golden”, and related to Aurora, meaning “dawn”.
- Amanda: A Latin name meaning “worthy of love”.
- Beatriz: Meaning “the one who brings joy”.
- Belmira: This is a place in Columbia, and also a Brazilian first name meaning “beautiful voyage”.
- Constancta: A strong girl’s name meaning “steadfast and persistent”.
- Benigna: An Italian name that’s more popular in Brazil. It means “kind-hearted”.
- Brazilia: The new capital of Brazil would make a great name for a baby girl.
- Bruna: Meaning “dark-haired”.
- Camilla: A Latin name from the term for a temple servant. In Arabic, it’s also related to the word for beauty.
- Clara: Meaning “bright and clear”.
- Daiane: Meaning “beautiful and smart”. The Portuguese version of Diane.
- Edite: A Brazilian version of Edith, meaning “blessed”.
- Eloa: Meaning “sun warrior”.
- Iara: This name is gender-neutral in Brazil, and it means “cheerful and happy”.
- Jessica: A name that goes back to Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.
- Julia: Meaning “youthful”.
- Kiania: Meaning “new dawn”.
- Lecia: Another name that means “joyful”.
- Luciana: Related to names like Luca and Lucia, this Italian name means “light”.
- Manuella: A feminine name related to Emanuel, meaning “God is with us”.
- Sandra: Meaning “protector of man”.
- Sophia: Originally a Greek word for wisdom, this name is popular around the world.
- Teressa: Meaning “late summer”. A variation on Theresa.
- Valentina: The meanings include “love”, “strength”, and “health”.
- Vanessa: A name related to butterflies. 🦋
- Vittoria: Meaning “victory”.
- Yara: A traditional name that means “mother of the water”.
- Zina: A cool Z name for girls that’s related to Zeus. It means “welcoming”.
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Brazilian boy names
One of the most common names for boys in Brazil is actually Junior, when they’re named after their father, or Neto, when they’re named after their grandfather.
But if that doesn’t float your boat, there are plenty more to choose from:
- Ademir: Meaning “glorious” or “war-like” depending on whether you trace it back through German or Portuguese.
- Alexandre: A French form of Alexander, meaning “defender”.
- Alexio: Another version of Alexander.
- Anastacio: Meaning “resurrection”.
- Bernardo: For boys who’re going to be “as strong as a bear”. 🐻
- Bruno: This name means “brown”.
- Daniel: A popular Biblical name.
- Davi: Another name from the Bible, this time a Portuguese version of David.
- Eduardo: Meaning “wealthy guardian”.
- Faren: A gorgeous gender-neutral Brazilian name that means “handsome”.
- Felipe: A Spanish and Portuguese version of Phillip.
- Gabriel: An angelic name meaning “God is my strength”.
- Gaspar: This version of Jasper means “treasure”.
- Gomes: A surname that’s also used as a first name, this simply means “man”.
- Gustavo: Meaning “protected by God”.
- Hayle: A name that dates back to the Portuguese colonization of Brazil. It means “someone who lives in a hollow”.
- Jaren: A Hebrew name meaning “he descends”.
- Lucio: Meaning “light”.
- Marcelo: Another elegant variation on the classic Mark or Marcos.
- Miguel: The Spanish and Portuguese form of Michael.
- Neymar: This is the name of a famous Brazilian soccer player. Apparently, it’s a combination of the planets Neptune and Mars.
- Pascoa: A name in the same family as the French Pascal – this would be perfect for a child born around Easter.
- Quim: A unique Brazilian boy name that’s actually a shortened form of Joaquim.
- Rafael: Meaning “God has healed”.
- Raimundo: Meaning “wise defender”.
- Rio: In Spanish and Portuguese, Rio means “river”. It’s also a cool reference to Rio de Janeiro, one of the most famous cities in Brazil.
- Rodrigo: Meaning “powerful”.
- Santos: Saint names are popular in Brazil, and Santiago means “St James”. Why not just Santos (“saints”)?
- Salvador: Both a geographical name (in reference to El Salvador) and a name meaning “savior”.
- Thiago: Meaning “May God protect you”. It shares its origins with the name James.
- Tristao: Meaning “outcry”.
- Valentim: A variant on the classic name Valentine.
And if you’re still on the hunt for a name with a South American flavor, take a look through our 66 charming Colombian baby names.
Better yet, tap into the Peanut community.
Brazilian baby name brainstorms are just one of the many conversations we’re having.