260 Portuguese Baby Names With Meanings

There are very few languages as beautiful as Portuguese. Being abundant in soft vowels and vibrant consonants, the Portuguese language is mainly spoken in Portugal and Brazil and some regions of Guinea—Bissau, Mozambique, and Angola. Portugal, the country of port wine, Christiano Ronaldo, and capoeira, has a well-defined, yet flexible naming system. The law establishes that each child must be given at least one given name and one surname. The maximum number of surnames allowed are four. A few naming laws limit the parents to pick only traditional Portuguese names. But the positive consequences of these strict rules is the rise of a rich variety of nicknames and diminutives. A Portuguese name is composed of one or more given names, followed by a number of family names. Normally, the first surname is taken from the maternal side and the second surname is taken from the paternal side. But for official surnames, individuals can use only one surname, typically the last one. Portuguese first names have a distinctive flavor and unusual pronunciation. Being 97% Roman Catholic country, most of the first names in Portugal are inspired by the Bible or saints. For instance, Maria has been a perpetual number one girl’s name in the country. You can browse through our complete list of Portuguese baby names with meanings below.