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 thatâs both diverse and fascinating.
You might even say âš vibrant âš.
And with influences from Portugal, Spain, and even some French and Latin roots, Brazilian baby names are just as enthralling.
Weâve 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, itâs 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 motherâs and their fatherâs surname.
Usually, mamaâs name comes first.
So, if your motherâs surname was Silva Dominguez, and your fatherâs 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 grandfatherâs names from both sides of the family tree.
And when women get married, itâs tradition to replace their maternal surname with the paternal part of their husbandâs surname.
Simple, right?
As for the most popular Brazilian last name, itâs none other than:
- Silva: Meaning âforestâ or âwoodâ.
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, weâve included some of the most common apelidos below.
What are some popular names in Brazil?
Speaking of popular, youâll probably recognize many of these top-running Brazilian names for boys and girls.
For girls, the current top 10 includes:
- Adriana: Meaning âfrom Adriaâ. Adriana Limaâs iconic status as the longest-running Victoriaâs Secret model is probably the reason behind this Latin nameâs 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 ânobleâ.
- Ana: Meaning âfavored graceâ. Hebrew in origin, Spanish in style.
- Antonia: Meaning âpricelessâ or âpraiseworthyâ. We love this name for an unapologetic queen. No high chairs here, only thrones.
- Fernanda: Meaning âbrave journeyâ. Inspired by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.
- Francisca: Meaning âfree oneâ or âfrom Franceâ â the roots may be French, but the subtle Brazilian flavor cannot be denied.
- Juliana: Meaning âyouthfulâ. Related to one of the most ancient Roman names, Julius. As for nicknames, how about Ju or Juju.
- Marcia: Another ancient Roman name meaning âwarlikeâ.
- Maria: Meaning âof the seaâ, âbelovedâ, or ârebelliousâ. A name as diverse as Brazil itself. We love its nickname Malu.
- Patricia: Meaning ânobleâ. 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 (JoĂŁo), Mark (Marcos), and Peter (Pedro).
- Antonio: Meaning âpricelessâ. An artful balance to Antonia.
- Carlos: Meaning âfree manâ, youâll find no shortage of CarlĂŁos in Brazil.
- Francisco: Meaning âfreeâ.
- Lucas: Meaning âbringer of lightâ.
- Luiz: Meaning âfamous in battleâ. Sometimes spelled Luis.
- JosĂ©: Meaning âGod will giveâ. Rooted in the Hebrew name Joseph. ZĂ© makes for a sweet pet name.
- JoĂŁo: A Portuguese variation on John meaning âGod is graciousâ.
- Marcos: Meaning âdedicated to Marsâ. As in the Roman God of war and military. One badass baby. Howâs Marquinhos for a nickname?
- Paulo: Meaning âhumble and smallâ.
- Pedro: A Greek boyâs name meaning ârockâ.
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 âprotector of mankindâ.
- Alazna: Meaning âmiracleâ. The feminine form of Alonzo.
- Alice: It sounds English, it has German origins, and itâs on the rise in Brazil.
- Augustinha: Meaning âto increaseâ. This is one of many names on the list which can trace its roots back to Latin.
- Aurea: Meaning âgoldenâ, and related to Aurora, meaning âdawnâ.
- Amanda: A Latin name meaning âworthy of loveâ.
- Beatriz: Meaning âthe one who brings joyâ.
- Belmira: This is a place in Columbia, and also a Brazilian first name meaning âbeautiful voyageâ.
- Constancta: A strong girlâs name meaning âsteadfast and persistentâ.
- Benigna: An Italian name thatâs more popular in Brazil. It means âkind-heartedâ.
- Brazilia: The new capital of Brazil would make a great name for a baby girl.
- Bruna: Meaning âdark-hairedâ.
- Camilla: A Latin name from the term for a temple servant. In Arabic, itâs also related to the word for beauty.
- Clara: Meaning âbright and clearâ.
- Daiane: Meaning âbeautiful and smartâ. The Portuguese version of Diane.
- Edite: A Brazilian version of Edith, meaning âblessedâ.
- Eloa: Meaning âsun warriorâ.
- Iara: This name is gender-neutral in Brazil, and it means âcheerful and happyâ.
- Jessica: A name that goes back to Shakespeareâs The Merchant of Venice.
- Julia: Meaning âyouthfulâ.
- Kiania: Meaning ânew dawnâ.
- Lecia: Another name that means âjoyfulâ.
- Luciana: Related to names like Luca and Lucia, this Italian name means âlightâ.
- Manuella: A feminine name related to Emanuel, meaning âGod is with usâ.
- Sandra: Meaning âprotector of manâ.
- Sophia: Originally a Greek word for wisdom, this name is popular around the world.
- Teressa: Meaning âlate summerâ. A variation on Theresa.
- Valentina: The meanings include âloveâ, âstrengthâ, and âhealthâ.
- Vanessa: A name related to butterflies. đŠ
- Vittoria: Meaning âvictoryâ.
- Yara: A traditional name that means âmother of the waterâ.
- Zina: A cool Z name for girls thatâs related to Zeus. It means âwelcomingâ.
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Brazilian boy names
One of the most common names for boys in Brazil is actually Junior, when theyâre named after their father, or Neto, when theyâre named after their grandfather.
But if that doesnât float your boat, there are plenty more to choose from:
- Ademir: Meaning âgloriousâ or âwar-likeâ depending on whether you trace it back through German or Portuguese.
- Alexandre: A French form of Alexander, meaning âdefenderâ.
- Alexio: Another version of Alexander.
- Anastacio: Meaning âresurrectionâ.
- Bernardo: For boys whoâre going to be âas strong as a bearâ. đ»
- Bruno: This name means âbrownâ.
- Daniel: A popular Biblical name.
- Davi: Another name from the Bible, this time a Portuguese version of David.
- Eduardo: Meaning âwealthy guardianâ.
- Faren: A gorgeous gender-neutral Brazilian name that means âhandsomeâ.
- Felipe: A Spanish and Portuguese version of Phillip.
- Gabriel: An angelic name meaning âGod is my strengthâ.
- Gaspar: This version of Jasper means âtreasureâ.
- Gomes: A surname thatâs also used as a first name, this simply means âmanâ.
- Gustavo: Meaning âprotected by Godâ.
- Hayle: A name that dates back to the Portuguese colonization of Brazil. It means âsomeone who lives in a hollowâ.
- Jaren: A Hebrew name meaning âhe descendsâ.
- Lucio: Meaning âlightâ.
- 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, itâs a combination of the planets Neptune and Mars.
- Pascoa: A name in the same family as the French Pascal â this would be perfect for a child born around Easter.
- Quim: A unique Brazilian boy name thatâs actually a shortened form of Joaquim.
- Rafael: Meaning âGod has healedâ.
- Raimundo: Meaning âwise defenderâ.
- Rio: In Spanish and Portuguese, Rio means âriverâ. Itâs also a cool reference to Rio de Janeiro, one of the most famous cities in Brazil.
- Rodrigo: Meaning âpowerfulâ.
- Santos: Saint names are popular in Brazil, and Santiago means âSt Jamesâ. Why not just Santos (âsaintsâ)?
- Salvador: Both a geographical name (in reference to El Salvador) and a name meaning âsaviorâ.
- Thiago: Meaning âMay God protect youâ. It shares its origins with the name James.
- Tristao: Meaning âoutcryâ.
- Valentim: A variant on the classic name Valentine.
And if youâre 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 weâre having.