Historically, daughters were commonly given their mother's surname, and sons were given their father's surname. It was also common for children to receive both of their parents' surnames. When this combination occurred, the mother's surname would typically precede the father's surname.
For the sake of simplicity, most Portuguese people use only two surnames. For example, if José Santos Almeida and Maria Abreu Melo had a daughter, her name could simply be Joana Melo Almeida (personal name + mother's surname + father's surname).
Most people in Brazil have two surnames inherited from the mother and the father, in that order. Furthermore, people that get married may or may not adopt the surname of the other party but traditionally women drop the surname of the mother and add that of the husband.
The most common format is to have one's mother's paternal and father's paternal surname (e.g. Luiz João OLIVEIRA SILVA). Maternal family names are always placed before paternal family names. Sometimes, the family name from the father will be used alone.
Brazil, which used to be a colony of Portugal, still use Portuguese naming conventions. With these customs, people are given four names – their given name, which is often two to include a saint's name and/or a preposition (such as da, das, do, dos or de), the mother's last name, and then the father's last name.
Silva is the most popular surname in Portugal, and da Silva takes the lead in Brazil.
Surnames. A Portuguese name is typically composed of one or two given names, and a number of family names (rarely one, but often two or three, sometimes more). The first additional names are usually the mother's family surname(s) and the father's family surname(s).
Apart from “love”—the most commonly used, other pet names for a lover could be: amoreco (“beloved”), môre (“special”), fofo (“fluff”), fofinho (“cuddles”), minha vida (“my life”), meu bebê (“baby”), paixão (“passion”), coração (“heart”), xuxuzinho (“sweet pumpkin”), flor de maracujá (“passion flower”)…
Tuga is slang for a typical Portuguese person (a Portuga). This used to be a derogatory that was mainly used in the former Portuguese African colonies, but is a word that the Portuguese have decided to own.
If you ask any Brazilian what the most common last name in Brazil is, for sure the answer will be “Silva.” Silva, which in Latin means “forest” or “jungle,”was brought by the Portuguese during the colonization of Brazil.
However, the suffix -son, in Brazil, means nothing at all.
Unlike the Portuguese, who rarely import given names, but change them according to their language (Margareth becomes Margarida, Charles becomes Carlos) Brazilians often import them as they are and even coin new ones according to their taste.
Brazil has adopted Portuguese naming patterns, meaning that it is typical for people to trace their ancestry back through both their maternal and paternal lines. This is reflected in their name, as they usually have two surnames; the mother's paternal and father's paternal surname (e.g. Luiz João PAZOS SILVA).
In Spain and Spanish American countries, except Argentina, each person has two surnames. Traditionally, the first surname is paternal and comes from the father, while the second surname is maternal and comes from the mother.
Portugal, officially The Portuguese Republic, is a country in southern Europe, founded in 1143, occupying a total area of 92,212 km2.
Your “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” in Portuguese is your namorado or namorada. To remember it, think of the English word “enamoured”.
Meu (bro) Short for meu irmão, which means “my brother,” this Portuguese slang expression is a perfect equivalent for the popular English slang word “bro.”
Establishment of the name in Portugal
As a rule, they are chosen from the surnames of both parents but may be from only one, up to a maximum of four surnames. Surnames belonging to ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents) may also be chosen. If they are not part of the parents' surnames, proof must be provided.
Hyphenated last names may also be called a double surname or double-barrelled surname. For example, Sarah Smith marries Adam Jones. A hyphenated last name would be Smith-Jones or Jones-Smith. It's your choice which name comes first.
Fala, amigão. Hey, big friend! Fala, meu chapa. Hey my pal.
94 % of the population is Portuguese. Brazilians, Black, mixed race and other Europeans each represents about 1.2 % of the total population.