top brazilian names
and surnames

Brazilian names and surnames

Do you want to know the most common Brazilian names?

In Brazil, first and last names may reveal something  about people and their family. 

There are many questions that foreigners ask about Brazilian culture. When we talk about names, it is interest to know how they are formed in every language.

Here are some of the most common questions people ask about Brazilian names:

1. What are the most common names in Brazil?

In 2016, IBGE published a list with the most common names in Brazil. The data was based on a survey conducted in 2010. 

Here are the Top 10 names for men and women in Brazil:

Male

José: 5.732.508

João: 2.971.935

Antônio: 2.567.494

Francisco: 1.765.197

Carlos: 1.483.121

Paulo: 1.417.907

Pedro: 1.213.557

Lucas: 1.116.818

Luiz: 1.102.927

Marcos: 1.101.126

Female

Maria: 11.694.738

Ana: 3.079.729

Francisca: 721.637

Antônia: 588.783

Adriana: 565.621

Juliana: 562.589

Márcia: 551.855

Fernanda: 531.607

Patrícia: 529.446

Aline: 509.869

Amazing approach... Learning Portuguese this way is easy"

- Sam Lima, Bedworth, England

2. What are the most common surnames in Brazil?

Here in Brazil, the top 5 surnames account for about 30% of the population.

That's why our Brazilian ID cards include our parents' names. Mother's name are used to distinguish between people with similar names.

(In the US, for instance, the top 5 surnames account for only 3% of the population.)

The Top 5 surnames in Brail are:

  • Silva: 9.7 million
  • Santos: 5.2 million
  • Pereira: 4.9 million
  • Alves: 4. 5 million
  • Ferreira: 4.35 million

Other lists of popular surnames include:

  • Silva
  • Souza
  • Costa
  • Santos
  • Oliveira
  • Pereira
  • Rodrigues
  • Almeida
  • Andrade
  • Machado
  • Nascimento
  • Lima
  • Araújo
  • Fernandes
  • Carvalho
  • Gomes
  • Martins
  • Rocha
  • Ribeiro
  • Alves
  • Monteiro
  • Mendes
  • Barros
  • Freitas
  • Barbosa
  • Pinto
  • Moura
  • Cavalcanti
  • Dias
  • Castro
  • Campos
  • Cardoso

3. Do Brazililans have two surnames?

In Brazil, it is common to have two surnames — one from your mother’s side and one from your father’s side. For instance, my children have both mine and my wife’s surnames

Name + mother's surname + father's surname

Ana Paula Pereira Nunes, Arthur Pereira Nunes, Abraão Pereira Nunes, Poliana Pereira Nunes

My wife was Ana Martha Pereira (when single). After we married, she became Ana Martha Pereira Nunes.

Our daughter married this year. So, she changed her name to Ana Paula Nunes Marques.

NEW!
Book Live Classes with Charlles Nunes, the Creator of Learn Portuguese Now

Click here and get started.


From Brazilian names to Homepage