Portuguese Names
Updated Thu Nov 30 2023
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Portuguese names are found mainly in Portugal and Brazil, with many names popular in those Portuguese-speaking countries similar to Spanish names. Baby names popular in Portugal include Sofia and Ana, Francisco and Santiago, names also used widely through South America and Latinate Europe. For that reason, Portuguese names feel familiar as they have an international flavor. For more on deeper look, read this article on the usage of Portuguese names.
The full complement of Portuguese baby names on Nameberry follow. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
The full complement of Portuguese baby names on Nameberry follow. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
- Hugo
Origin:
Latinized form of HughMeaning:
"mind, intellect"Description:
Hugo, the Latin form of Hugh, has more heft and energy than the original -- and of course we love names that end (or begin, for that matter) with an o. This one is especially appealing because it's backed up by lots of solid history and European style.
- Fia
Origin:
Irish or Portuguese or ItalianMeaning:
"wild or weaver"Description:
Fia may be most notable at this moment as the Anglicized version of the Irish Fiadh, one of the fastest-rising names in the Republic of Ireland. The meaning of Fia or Fiadh is sometimes given as "deer" but that's in the sense of a wild deer, as the name relates to the ancient word for wild.
- Ines
Origin:
Italian, Portuguese, Slovene and Croatian variation of AgnesMeaning:
"pure, virginal"Description:
This form of Agnes, Ines has always been popular since the true story of the thwarted lovers Queen Ines of Castro and King Peter of Portugal. This has to be one of the most heartbreaking and bloody true romances in history!
- Rio
Origin:
Spanish, Portuguese, JapaneseMeaning:
"river or place of the cherry blossoms"Description:
Rio is one of Japan's most popular girls' names, constantly sitting in that country's Top 10. Of course, Rio may also stem from the Portuguese and Spanish word for river, and the Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro. A truly international name for a cosmopolitan baby!
- Adelina
Origin:
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Slavic variation of AdelineMeaning:
"noble, nobility"Description:
Adelina is back in the Top 1000 after an absence of nearly a century, thanks to the meteoric rise of her sister name Adeline -- along with Adelaide, Adele, and Ada.
- Inez
Origin:
Spanish variation of AgnesMeaning:
"pure, virginal"Description:
Also spelled Ines, this name of the prudish mother of Don Juan in the Byron poem has a touch of mystery, but has also been fully integrated into the American name pool.
- Rosa
Origin:
Latinate variation of RoseMeaning:
"rose, a flower"Description:
As sweet-smelling as Rose but with an international flavour, Rosa is one of the most classic Portuguese, Spanish and Italian names, which is also favored by upper-class Brits, having an ample measure of vintage charm. Rosa has been on the popularity charts for every year that's been counted, especially popular from the 1880s through the beginning of the twentieth century.
- Teresa
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"to harvest"Description:
How do you spell Teresa? Teresa, the simpler phonetic form of this name, was the most popular variation for its early life, when it was used exclusively in Spain and Portugal. Other spellings of Teresa include Theresa, the usual English form, and the French Therese.
- Thiago
Origin:
Spelling variation of Tiago, diminutive of SantiagoMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
Some high-profile soccer stars, such as Thiago Silva, have contributed to its success. The correct Portuguese pronunciation is chee-AH-go. Thiago is ranked Number 2 for boys in Puerto Rico.
- Francisco
Origin:
Spanish, PortugueseMeaning:
"free man"Description:
Francisco is one of the more popular Spanish names for boys in the US, which is unsurprising given its popularity back in Spain and Portugal as well as Latin America, coupled with its classic status. It also has a cool hipster vibe to it, given the reputation of the city of San Francisco.
- Theresa
Origin:
English form of the Spanish TeresaMeaning:
"to harvest"Description:
The popular appeal of the strong, intelligent Saint Teresa of Avila, combined with the selfless compassion of the more recent Mother Teresa, have fused to give this second-tier classic a somewhat noble, religious image. Although the origins of the name are uncertain, it has been prevalent particularly in forms Theresa, Teresa, and Therese throughout Europe for centuries.
- Linda
Origin:
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian word name meaning "pretty"Meaning:
"pretty"Description:
Linda will live forever in baby name history for toppling Mary from its four hundred year reign as Number 1. Queen of Names in 1947, Linda has fallen even further in favor than Mary today.
- Esmeralda
Origin:
Spanish and PortugueseMeaning:
"emerald"Description:
Esmeralda came into use as an applied use of the Spanish word for emerald, esmeralda. In the 1831 Victor Hugo novel Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the heroine was born Agnes, but called La Esmeralda in reference to the jewel she wears around her neck. The name Esmeralda got increased visibility via the Disney version of the story.
- Ana
Origin:
Variation of HannahMeaning:
"grace"Description:
Confident and compact, Ana is a widely used variation of the Biblical Hannah. Favored in Spain, Slovenia, Bosnia, Portugal, and Croatia, this shorter spelling has the same substance and versatility of its longer counterparts.
- Tiago
Origin:
Portuguese diminutive of Santiago, LatinMeaning:
"Saint James"Description:
Tiago, also spelled Thiago, is a popular Portuguese boys' name derived from the more formal Santiago but these days usually used on its own. English speakers won't intuitively get the pronunciation but this might be a creative way to honor an ancestral James or Diego.
- Leandro
Origin:
Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian variation of LeanderMeaning:
"lion-man"Description:
Leandro is a variation of the Ancient Greek name Leander, created by combining the Latin words leo and Andro together, to get a meaning that suggests strength, power, and bravery. The Hero and Leander myth lends the name a romantic, poetical feel, while it's association to Bishop Leander of Seville gives it a more saintly quality.
- Lando
Origin:
Portuguese and Spanish diminutive of Orlando, RolandoDescription:
Lively nickname, but we'd prefer the more substantial Orlando.
- Silvio
Origin:
Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of SilviusMeaning:
"wood, forest"Description:
Shiny and sylvan choice.
- Paula
Origin:
Feminine variation of PaulMeaning:
"small"Description:
Paula still seems somewhat stuck in the era of duo Paul and Paula bopping out the song "Hey, Paula." Two pronunciations are possible—the English "PAW-la" and the Portuguese "POW-la."
- Jose
Origin:
Spanish and Portuguese version of JosephMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"Description:
Jose is as widespread in the Hispanic community as Joseph and Joe are elsewhere in the U.S., though its numbers here are starting to decrease somewhat. Jose is one of those Spanish baby names that has never crossed over into the Anglo naming culture.