304 Portuguese Baby Names With Meanings

There are very few languages as beautiful as Portuguese. Abundant in soft vowels and vibrant consonants, the language is mainly spoken in Portugal, Brazil, and some regions of Guinea—Bissau, Mozambique, and Angola (1). Portuguese baby names will appeal to those with Portuguese heritage or who simply want a melodic name for their child. This country of port wine, Christiano Ronaldo, the Fado and Saudade musical styles, and the capoeira has a well-defined yet flexible naming system. The Portuguese law establishes that a child must be given at least one first name and one surname. The maximum number of surnames allowed is four. A few naming laws limit the parents to only traditional Portuguese names. However, a positive consequence of these rules is the rise of a wide variety of diminutives, commonly ending with -inho for boys and -inha for girls (2). A Portuguese title comprises one or more given names, followed by some family names. Typically, the first surname is taken from the maternal side, and the second is taken from the paternal side. These surnames may be written separately or joined with e. But for official surnames, individuals can use only one surname, typically the last one. After marrying, a woman can keep her maiden name or add her husband’s paternal family name to her name. Also, she may add both the husband’s family names to hers or remove her maternal family name, substituting it with her husband’s paternal family name (2). The Bible or saints inspire most first names in Portugal, a 97% Roman Catholic country. Portuguese first names have distinctive pronunciations. Wherever possible, first names in this country end with -ez, and family names usually end in -es. This is an important distinction between Portuguese and Spanish naming conventions because the latter is directly opposite to this rule. Thus, Luiz Gomes is Portuguese, but Luis Gomez is Spanish (2). You can browse our complete list of Portuguese baby names with meanings below to find the perfect one for your child.

Name		Gender	Meaning
Ermenhilda		Unisex	Huge treasure
Ermenilda		Girl	A powerful warrior
Ermenjart		Girl	A warrior who was extremely powerful
Esmeralda		Girl	Emerald
Estela		Girl	A Spanish word for stars in the sky
Estevao		Boy	Crown
Estevo		Boy	Crown; Garland
Eufemia		Girl	To speak; To declare; Words of good omen
Eugenia		Girl	Aristocratic or noble by birth
Eustaquio		Boy	Fruitful; Productive
Eva		Girl	Life; The living one
Evora		Girl	She who lives near yew trees
Fatima		Girl	Captivating one
Felisberta		Girl	An intelligent and wise woman
Fernanda		Girl	Adventurous; Bold journey
Fethee		Boy	Judgment
Fia		Girl	One who makes a dark peace; Daughter in Italian
Filipe		Boy	A person who loves horses
Filomena		Girl	Lover of mankind; Beloved
Fortunata		Girl	One who is lucky and blessed
Francisca		Unisex	From France
Francisco		Boy	Frenchman; Free man
Fryda		Girl	An intelligent social worker of fairies
Gabriela		Unisex	God is my strength
Garcia		Girl	Brave spear; Young bear
Germana		Girl	A person who comes from the country Germany
Gertrudes		Boy	A mighty person with a spear
Gilberta		Girl	Hostage
Gilda		Girl	Sacrifice; Tribute; Serves God
Gilma		Girl	The one who advances; The one who goes forward
Glaucia		Girl	Bluish grey
Gloria		Girl	Praise; Immortal glory; Renown
Goncalo		Boy	A man who is a genius in battles
Gracielle		Girl	Graceful and elegant
Gualter		Boy	Ruler of the army
Gylda		Girl	Value; Sacrifice; Knowing true
Helena		Girl	Torch; Shining light
Henriques		Boy	Ruler of the estate
Hermenegildo		Boy	A tribute of gold
Humberto		Boy	A famous fighter
Ilda		Girl	A heroine in the battle
Inacio		Boy	Internal fire
Ines		Girl	Pure
Inez		Girl	Pure; Holy
Iris		Girl	Rainbow; Flower
Isabel		Girl	God is my oath
Isabela		Girl	God is my oath
Isaura		Unisex	From Isaura
Ivone		Girl	Yew
Izabel		Girl	Brazilian version of Isabel; My God is an oath
Jacare		Unisex	Alligator; Crocodile
Jacinda		Girl	One who is like the hyacinth flower
Jacinta		Girl	Hyacinth flower
Joa		Unisex	God is gracious
Joana		Girl	God is gracious
Joaninha		Girl	God is gracious
Joao		Boy	Jehovah has been gracious; Jehovah has shown favor
Joaquim		Boy	Raised by Yahweh; Established by Yahweh
Jose		Boy	God will give
Josefa		Girl	God will give
Jovita		Girl	Merry, cheerful and good-humored
Judite		Girl	Praise; Woman from Judea
Julia		Girl	Downy-bearded; Youthful; Descended from Jove or Jupiter; Supreme God; God's peace for the weary
Kadonkechi		Boy	A bitter soup
Kaka		Unisex	Beautiful; Good
Kiania		Girl	The dawn
Laiza		Girl	Graceful, energetic, creative
Lara		Girl	Protection; Water fairy
Laura		Girl	Laurel; Victory
Laurinda		Girl	Laurel tree; Sweet bay tree; Symbol of victory
Lecia		Girl	Joyful person
Leita		Unisex	People's ruler
Leonor		Girl	Light; Luminous; Torch
Leticia		Girl	Joy; Gladness
Lia		Girl	Weary; Relaxed
Liandra		Unisex	Lioness of man
Lidia		Girl	A person who is from Lydia
Ligia		Girl	Sirens; A woman with a shrill voice
Liliana		Girl	Lily; Purity; Innocence
Lina		Girl	Tender; Sunlight
Linda		Girl	Beautiful; Soft
Lisbon		Unisex	Capital city of Portugal
Lorena		Girl	From Laurentum; Laurel
Luana		Girl	Lion; Happiness
Lucia		Girl	Light
Lucille		Girl	Light; To shine
Luisa		Girl	Famous warrior
Luzia		Girl	The one who was born at daybreak
Lygia		Girl	A whistling voice
Madalena		Girl	Of Magdala
Madeira		Boy	An archipelago and wine region
Mae		Girl	A bitter pearl
Mafalda		Girl	A powerful warrior
Makua		Unisex	Strong, determined, leader
Mango		Unisex	A topical fruit
Manuela		Girl	God is with us
Mara		Boy	Bitter
Margarida		Girl	Pearl
Maria		Girl	Bitter
Mariana		Girl	Star of the sea

Infographic: Profound Portuguese Names For Babies

Portuguese baby names reflect the country’s cultural wealth. These names celebrate the country’s rich history and have deep cultural significance. So, do you want to give a Portuguese name to your baby? Delve into the infographic below as we bring you culturally-rich names from the region and meanings for boys and girls.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team