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 thatās both diverse and fascinating.
You might even say āØ vibrant āØ.
And with influences from Portugal, Spain, and even some French and Latin roots, Brazilian baby names are just as enthralling.
Weāve 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, itās 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 motherās and their fatherās surname.
Usually, mamaās name comes first.
So, if your motherās surname was Silva Dominguez, and your fatherās 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 grandfatherās names from both sides of the family tree.
And when women get married, itās tradition to replace their maternal surname with the paternal part of their husbandās surname.
Simple, right?
As for the most popular Brazilian last name, itās none other than:
- Silva: Meaning āforestā or āwoodā.
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, weāve included some of the most common apelidos below.
What are some popular names in Brazil?
Speaking of popular, youāll probably recognize many of these top-running Brazilian names for boys and girls.
For girls, the current top 10 includes:
- Adriana: Meaning āfrom Adriaā. Adriana Limaās iconic status as the longest-running Victoriaās Secret model is probably the reason behind this Latin nameās 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 ānobleā.
- Ana: Meaning āfavored graceā. Hebrew in origin, Spanish in style.
- Antonia: Meaning āpricelessā or āpraiseworthyā. We love this name for an unapologetic queen. No high chairs here, only thrones.
- Fernanda: Meaning ābrave journeyā. Inspired by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.
- Francisca: Meaning āfree oneā or āfrom Franceā ā the roots may be French, but the subtle Brazilian flavor cannot be denied.
- Juliana: Meaning āyouthfulā. Related to one of the most ancient Roman names, Julius. As for nicknames, how about Ju or Juju.
- Marcia: Another ancient Roman name meaning āwarlikeā.
- Maria: Meaning āof the seaā, ābelovedā, or ārebelliousā. A name as diverse as Brazil itself. We love its nickname Malu.
- Patricia: Meaning ānobleā. 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 (JoĆ£o), Mark (Marcos), and Peter (Pedro).
- Antonio: Meaning āpricelessā. An artful balance to Antonia.
- Carlos: Meaning āfree manā, youāll find no shortage of CarlĆ£os in Brazil.
- Francisco: Meaning āfreeā.
- Lucas: Meaning ābringer of lightā.
- Luiz: Meaning āfamous in battleā. Sometimes spelled Luis.
- JosĆ©: Meaning āGod will giveā. Rooted in the Hebrew name Joseph. ZĆ© makes for a sweet pet name.
- JoĆ£o: A Portuguese variation on John meaning āGod is graciousā.
- Marcos: Meaning ādedicated to Marsā. As in the Roman God of war and military. One badass baby. Howās Marquinhos for a nickname?
- Paulo: Meaning āhumble and smallā.
- Pedro: A Greek boyās name meaning ārockā.
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 āprotector of mankindā.
- Alazna: Meaning āmiracleā. The feminine form of Alonzo.
- Alice: It sounds English, it has German origins, and itās on the rise in Brazil.
- Augustinha: Meaning āto increaseā. This is one of many names on the list which can trace its roots back to Latin.
- Aurea: Meaning āgoldenā, and related to Aurora, meaning ādawnā.
- Amanda: A Latin name meaning āworthy of loveā.
- Beatriz: Meaning āthe one who brings joyā.
- Belmira: This is a place in Columbia, and also a Brazilian first name meaning ābeautiful voyageā.
- Constancta: A strong girlās name meaning āsteadfast and persistentā.
- Benigna: An Italian name thatās more popular in Brazil. It means ākind-heartedā.
- Brazilia: The new capital of Brazil would make a great name for a baby girl.
- Bruna: Meaning ādark-hairedā.
- Camilla: A Latin name from the term for a temple servant. In Arabic, itās also related to the word for beauty.
- Clara: Meaning ābright and clearā.
- Daiane: Meaning ābeautiful and smartā. The Portuguese version of Diane.
- Edite: A Brazilian version of Edith, meaning āblessedā.
- Eloa: Meaning āsun warriorā.
- Iara: This name is gender-neutral in Brazil, and it means ācheerful and happyā.
- Jessica: A name that goes back to Shakespeareās The Merchant of Venice.
- Julia: Meaning āyouthfulā.
- Kiania: Meaning ānew dawnā.
- Lecia: Another name that means ājoyfulā.
- Luciana: Related to names like Luca and Lucia, this Italian name means ālightā.
- Manuella: A feminine name related to Emanuel, meaning āGod is with usā.
- Sandra: Meaning āprotector of manā.
- Sophia: Originally a Greek word for wisdom, this name is popular around the world.
- Teressa: Meaning ālate summerā. A variation on Theresa.
- Valentina: The meanings include āloveā, āstrengthā, and āhealthā.
- Vanessa: A name related to butterflies. š¦
- Vittoria: Meaning āvictoryā.
- Yara: A traditional name that means āmother of the waterā.
- Zina: A cool Z name for girls thatās related to Zeus. It means āwelcomingā.
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Brazilian boy names
One of the most common names for boys in Brazil is actually Junior, when theyāre named after their father, or Neto, when theyāre named after their grandfather.
But if that doesnāt float your boat, there are plenty more to choose from:
- Ademir: Meaning āgloriousā or āwar-likeā depending on whether you trace it back through German or Portuguese.
- Alexandre: A French form of Alexander, meaning ādefenderā.
- Alexio: Another version of Alexander.
- Anastacio: Meaning āresurrectionā.
- Bernardo: For boys whoāre going to be āas strong as a bearā. š»
- Bruno: This name means ābrownā.
- Daniel: A popular Biblical name.
- Davi: Another name from the Bible, this time a Portuguese version of David.
- Eduardo: Meaning āwealthy guardianā.
- Faren: A gorgeous gender-neutral Brazilian name that means āhandsomeā.
- Felipe: A Spanish and Portuguese version of Phillip.
- Gabriel: An angelic name meaning āGod is my strengthā.
- Gaspar: This version of Jasper means ātreasureā.
- Gomes: A surname thatās also used as a first name, this simply means āmanā.
- Gustavo: Meaning āprotected by Godā.
- Hayle: A name that dates back to the Portuguese colonization of Brazil. It means āsomeone who lives in a hollowā.
- Jaren: A Hebrew name meaning āhe descendsā.
- Lucio: Meaning ālightā.
- 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, itās a combination of the planets Neptune and Mars.
- Pascoa: A name in the same family as the French Pascal ā this would be perfect for a child born around Easter.
- Quim: A unique Brazilian boy name thatās actually a shortened form of Joaquim.
- Rafael: Meaning āGod has healedā.
- Raimundo: Meaning āwise defenderā.
- Rio: In Spanish and Portuguese, Rio means āriverā. Itās also a cool reference to Rio de Janeiro, one of the most famous cities in Brazil.
- Rodrigo: Meaning āpowerfulā.
- Santos: Saint names are popular in Brazil, and Santiago means āSt Jamesā. Why not just Santos (āsaintsā)?
- Salvador: Both a geographical name (in reference to El Salvador) and a name meaning āsaviorā.
- Thiago: Meaning āMay God protect youā. It shares its origins with the name James.
- Tristao: Meaning āoutcryā.
- Valentim: A variant on the classic name Valentine.
And if youāre 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 weāre having.