Portuguese names originate in the distant past and are mixed with the traditions of Spain. Names can consist of several variants and surnames at the same time. Moreover, they are selected only from a list approved by the government. This list contains only saints and those who passed the spelling test. Portugal has a separate list of prohibited substances, and it is updated every year. The rules for constructing names are also interesting. If a Portuguese had only one surname, it would cause great confusion.

Composition of a Portuguese name

Portuguese names consist of a personal name and two surnames - mother and father (Maria Gomes Silva). Moreover, the maternal one always goes first (although vice versa is not prohibited). But in life, a person is most often called only by his father’s (last) surname. In our case - Silva. Or the name (Maria) is added to it in front.

How to choose a personal name

As with everything in Portugal, the personal name is chosen from a list of relatives. Usually grandparents. In addition to the name given by the parents, the child receives a second one at baptism. It can be given by a priest or godparents. Subsequently, only one name is used. More often - given by parents. However, the Portuguese may even have five personal names.

Surnames

Portuguese contain two at once - paternal and maternal. But it’s not uncommon to have more options. This is usually practiced by the Basques and nobility. Some may even have four surnames in their own. If desired, they are separated by the preposition “and”. But in modern times it has come to be considered old-fashioned. Therefore, it is mainly the Portuguese who use separation with the preposition noble origin. Sometimes the particle “de” is placed between surnames. Or they combine it with the article “los”, “la” or “las”. The second surname can be taken from the name of the place of birth or residence.

Female names

Portuguese female names have been carefully selected. According to tradition, they are based only on names from the Catholic calendar (saints) or traditional ones that are not on the prohibited list. Many Portuguese babies are called by their parents with names that have ancient Brazilian, Greek, Provençal, Jewish or Germanic roots. A large number of come not from the saints, but from their epithets. For example, Maria Dolores (Mourner) or Remedios (Healing).

Over many centuries they have changed a lot, but they have not lost their beauty and melody. Girls in Portugal are given two names. After them come that in their sound they resemble names. For complete completion, one or two husband's surnames are added (if the woman is married).

Since the main source of personal names is the Bible, many have Semitic roots (Aramaic and Hebrew). The most popular Portuguese names:

Having Greek roots:

• Catalina.
• Elena.
• Barbara.
• Veronica.
• Paula.

• Erika.
• Caroline.
• Frida.
• Matilda.
• Louis.

Male names

Portuguese male names are chosen on the basis of female ones. Since the Portuguese are very religious, the names of saints from the Catholic calendar are preferred. And those that have passed government censorship and spelling. For example, the King of Spain has five personal names, but in life he uses one - Juan Carlos.

Boys traditionally receive a double name, to which the surnames of their father and mother are added. The paternal one is placed ahead of the maternal one. Multi-step names are the norm in Portugal, but it is not always clear how they were formed. Sometimes a diminutive form is used - variants of both names are “compressed” into one.

The most common names with Semitic roots:

• Miguel.
• Daniel.
• Jose.
• Juan.
• Adan.
• David.
• Thomas.
• Jaime.
• Elias.

The most common Portuguese names (male) with Greek roots:

• Pedro.
• Jorge.
• Alejandro.
• Nicholas.
• Ector.
• Pablo.
• Sergio.
• Andres.

The most common names of Germanic origin:

• Alberto.
• Alfonso.
• Carlos.
• Gonzalo.
• Roberto.
• Louis.
• Rodrigo.
• Fernando.
• Federico.
• Enrique.
• Ernesto and some others.

Common Portuguese names

The list of Portuguese names is very long. It is published on the website of the country's Ministry of Justice. All organizations that register a newborn are required to follow this list. It also has a separate column - prohibited names.

The most popular name in Portugal is Maria. Its greatest distribution is motivated by euphony and religiosity. Moreover, most often this name is combined with the male Jose or other female ones (Magdalena, Antonia, Carolina, etc.). A domestic metamorphosis also occurs with the personal name “Anu”. After them come the Portuguese names Matilda, Beatrice, Ana and some others.

Among male names, the most common name is Juan (“Ivan” translated into Russian). Then follow Rodrigo, Martin, Thomas and some others. The procedure for converting one name into a double or triple name is similar to the female version. Only female name always comes second. Such options are also not uncommon in Portugal. This custom is considered quite fashionable among the upper classes and nobility.

How Portuguese names change after marriage

Women's first and last names do not change upon marriage. When a Portuguese woman gets married, her surname does not change. She simply adds one more - her spouse. Occasionally - two of his surnames. Children born in this marriage receive one mother's and father's surnames, or all four parental surnames.

Interesting facts about Portuguese names

The restriction on what a newborn can be named in Portugal applies only to indigenous residents of the country. If one of the parents is an immigrant, then the baby can be given any name not included in the special list.

Although Portuguese names can consist of several surnames or various combinations with the addition of suffixes, prefixes, etc., in everyday life only one of the given names is used. But in official documents only the full one should be used, even if it consists of four parental surnames, or other numerous combinations.

But there are some exceptions. For example, long Portuguese surnames are rarely written in telephone directories. Usually only the latter is used. Moreover, previous affixes to it are skipped. There are also nicknames in Portugal. When they are formed, a small suffix inh is placed before the last vowel. And, for example, Teresa (with the suffix - Teresinha (Terezinka)) turns into “little Teresa”.

Sometimes the opposite is used, increasing suffixes. And the name becomes more “weighty”, “heavy”. Abbreviations are sometimes used. But for the most part, Portuguese names are converted into diminutives.

Reference:

Portuguese belongs to the Romance group of the Indo-European family of languages ​​and is considered the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor and Macau. About 80% of Lusophones (native speakers of Portuguese) live in Brazil.

Map of the distribution of the Portuguese language in the world (Wikipedia):

Names in Brazil and Portugal

Portuguese legislation carefully monitors how its citizens should be called. There is a special list of allowed and prohibited names, and the number of prohibited ones increases every year. Among those allowed, names from the Catholic calendar predominate, carefully verified according to the standards of Portuguese spelling. Discrepancies are not welcome: for example, a child can only be called Tomás, but not Thomas(this spelling is considered archaic and inconsistent with the law), Manuel, but not Manoel, Mateus, but not Matheus.

In Brazil, names are treated much more simply. The abundance of emigrants from all over the world has taught Brazilians that names can be anything: unusual, exotic, pretentious, or even completely incredible. Therefore, Brazilians (even those of Portuguese origin) willingly give their children foreign names: Walter, Giovanni,Nelson, Edison. Yes, it's an Italian name. Alessandra so much more popular than the Portuguese version Alexandra, that many Brazilians consider it to be a native "home" name.

Brazilians have the same attitude when it comes to writing names. If a Portuguese man who decides to name his daughter Teresa is forced to settle for the only acceptable option - Teresa, then the Brazilian can write in the registration documents and Tereza, And Thereza, and in general everything your heart desires.

Both Brazilians and Portuguese use diminutive names. Moreover, it can be difficult to immediately grasp the connection between the diminutive and the passport name. It’s good if the diminutive name is formed simply with the help of a suffix, such as, for example, Ronaldinho- from Ronaldo. But guess what Zezito- This Jose, Kaka -Carlos, A Tekinya -Theresa, not every foreigner can do.

Diminutive names are also successfully formed from double names:

Carlos Jorge-Cajó
Maria Jose-Maze,Mize
Jose Carlos-Zeca
João Carlos-Joca,Juca
Maria Antonia-Mito
Antonio Jose-Toze
Maria Luisa,Maria Lucia-Malu

Pronunciation and transcription of Portuguese names

As you know, the Portuguese language has two variants: European and Brazilian. However, the pronunciation in Portugal and Brazil is quite different. So, the name of the great Portuguese poet Luis de Camões (Louis de Camões) in Portugal is pronounced "Luis de Camoes" and in most regions of Brazil - "Luis di Camoines". So, adequate phonetic translation of Portuguese names into Russian is not an easy task. The matter is complicated by the fact that while in Portugal there is a single officially recognized pronunciation norm, in Brazil there is essentially none. The most “literate” pronunciation is considered to be the pronunciation of the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro (“Carioca”) and Sao Paulo (“Paulista”), although these dialects, in turn, differ greatly. For example, where a carioca says s in Portuguese style - like "sh", Paulista (and with him the vast majority of residents of other states) will pronounce "With".

There is another difficulty. For a long time in Russian, Portuguese names and titles were rendered “in the Spanish way”: Vasco da Gama(but not Vasco da Gama), Luis de Camões(but not Luis de Camoes). Consider real features pronunciations began quite recently, but since Portuguese is not one of the most common languages ​​in our latitudes, few people understand the intricacies of pronunciation. Hence the massive discrepancy in transcriptions. The Portuguese footballer was especially unlucky Cristiano Ronaldo: whatever commentators call him - Christiano Ronaldo,Christiano Ronaldo,Christian Ronaldo... Although there is only one correct option - Cristiano Ronaldo: there is no soft “l” in the Portuguese language at all, the unstressed “o” at the end of the word in both versions of the language is reduced to “u”, and s before voiceless consonants in Portugal is pronounced like “sh” (although if the football player was born not in Madeira, but where someday in Sao Paulo, if only he Christian Ronaldo…).

Another unlucky person is a Brazilian musician Joao Gilberto (João Gilberto), appearing in various sources as Joan Gilberto,Joan Gilberto and even Joao Gilberto. In general, the only way to avoid such inconsistency is to use the rules of Portuguese-Russian transcription (for example, according to Ermolovich’s reference book). Of course, accurately convey the nasal sound ão(and other delights of pronunciation) in Russian letters is impossible, but of all the options, the reference book gives the closest to the original: “an” - Juan.

Accent in Portuguese names ()

In a simplified way, the rules for setting stress in Portuguese can be described as follows:

The emphasis is on the last syllable in all words ending in:

-i, u, ã, ão, ães, ãe, im, om, um;
- on a consonant except s, em, am;
- on s, if before s costs u or i.

The emphasis is on the penultimate syllable in all words ending in:

-a, o, e, em, am;
- on s with previous ones a, o, e.

Moreover, in words ending with io And ia, the emphasis falls on i.

Words that are exceptions to these rules are marked with graphic stress (as in Russian).

Writing Portuguese names

Until recently, spelling standards in Portugal and Brazil differed, which, accordingly, left an imprint on the spelling of names: port. Monica- braz. Monica, port. Jerónimo- braz. Jerônimo.

In July 2008, at the Summit of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, held in Lisbon, it was decided to unify the spelling, which brought the Portuguese spelling closer to the current Brazilian one. ()

The question of unifying the spelling of names remains open.

Most common Portuguese names

The most popular names among newborns (Portugal, 2008)

	Male names			Female names
1	João		1	Maria
2	Rodrigo		2	Beatriz
3	Martim		3	Ana
4	Diogo		4	Leonor
5	Tiago		5	Mariana
6	Tomás		6	Matilde

The most popular names among newborns (Brazil, 2009)

	Male names			Female names
1	Gabriel		1	Julia/Giulia *
2	Arthur/Arthur		2	Sofia/Sophia
3	Matheus/Mateus		3	Maria Eduarda
4	Davi/David		4	Giovanna/Giovana*
5	Lucas		5	Isabela/Isabella
6	Guilherme		6	Beatriz
7	Pedro		7	Manuela/Manoela/Manuella
8	Miguel		8	Yasmin/Iasmin
9	Enzo*		9	Maria Clara
10	Gustavo		10	Ana Clara

Names borrowed from Italian are marked with an asterisk.

Portuguese surnames

The average Portuguese's full name consists of three parts: the personal name (usually one or two), the mother's surname and the father's surname. For example: Joao Paulo Rodrigues Almeida (Juan And Paulo- personal names, Rodrigues- mother's surname, Almeida- father's surname) Maria Filipa Guimarães da Costa, Rodrigo Gomes Silva. In everyday life, a person is usually called only by his last (paternal) surname: Senor Almeida, Senora da Costa, Senor Silva.

When getting married, a woman does not change her last name, but simply adds her husband’s last name (more rarely, both last names) to her own. So, if Maria Filipa Guimarães da Costa marries Rodrigue Gomes Silva, then her full name will sound like Maria Filipa Guimarães da Costa Silva or Maria Filipa Guimarães da Costa Gomes Silva. In turn, their children will receive the “paternal” surnames of their mother and father: da Costa Silva, or, at the request of the parents, all four surnames: Guimarães da Costa Gomes Silva. Such multi-storey structures are far from uncommon: on the contrary, in Portugal a person with only one surname causes bewilderment. In Brazil, they take this more calmly: many descendants of emigrants of non-Portuguese origin ignore Portuguese traditions and are content with a single surname.

Name Joao- this is not just a set of letters or a column on a birth certificate, but, without exaggeration, an energetic message to the future. Knowing what the name Joao means, the meaning of the name Joao, the origin of the name Joao, what nationality the name Joao has, one can most accurately characterize the character, preferences, tastes and even predetermine the fate of a person. In particular, it is not so much the meaning of the name Joao or the origin of the name Joao that has a strong impact on a person, but rather its symbolism, the patron planet, Joao’s talismans, planetary number, etc. In any case, the name Joao carries a deep emotional and psychological coloring, which in turn defines its bearer as a separate, unique personality.

So what kind of name Joao, what is the origin of the name Joao, the meaning of the name Joao? The most complete information about him - the meaning of the name Joao, whose name, lucky numbers, planet, astrological stone, origin of the name Joao, personifying the animal, zodiac and sacred number, Joao's talismans, lucky days of the week and time of year, lucky color - collected on the website. We tried to describe the meaning of the name Joao in as much detail as possible so that after reading this description you will not have any questions. Read and find out what kind of name is actually hidden in a seemingly simple combination of letters and sounds.

About the name Joao: Meaning, origin

Meaning of the name Joao, like the origin of the name Joao (name of what nationality), deeply resonates in the character and fate of its bearer, determining talents, intelligence, material well-being, will, ability for self-realization and much more. It is very important that the meaning of the name Joao given at birth corresponds to the energetic influence of the date of birth. If the name Joao is given without taking into account the date of birth, then it can concentrate negative tension, leading to the development of internal imbalance. And, on the contrary: a correctly chosen name helps a person achieve success in life. That's why it's important to know what kind of name Joao is, whose name it is, what the name Joao means, and what its historical origins are.

Meaning of the name Joao:

Knowing what nationality the name Joao has (Joao is the name of what nationality) is important, because it is through the name that a person realizes himself, and any of his advantages and disadvantages inevitably affect part of his own “I”. At the same time, each nation has a certain list of names that have become traditional. Knowledge of facts such as Origin of the name Joao, whose name Joao, even before naming the child, helps influence the fate of the baby, taking into account national traditions.

Origin of the name Joao: Portuguese

Everything about you by date of birth

Numerology of the Name Joao

The most important numbers for a person are those encrypted in his name, the so-called lucky numbers. Numerologists say that the numerical value of the name Joao brings good luck and happiness to the bearer, helps to improve their financial condition, and reduce the number of failures and disappointments. You just need to take them into account when making decisions.

Name number: 5

Heart number: 6

Personality number: 8

Happiness number: 5

Lucky numbers for the name Joao: 5, 14, 23, 32, 41, 50, 59, 68, 77, 86, 95, 104, 113

Happy days of the month: 5, 14, 23

The meaning of the letters of the name Joao

Not only each of the names influences fate and character. Both the origin of the name Joao and each individual letter, its interpretation and significance have a strong influence. So, the meaning of the name Joao is such that the first letter speaks of a problem that is important for a person to solve during his life. The last letter indicates a weak point that needs to be protected and protected.

• g – charisma, meaningful but hidden inner world
• a – strength and power
• o – emotionality, mysterious excitement

Talismans named after Joao

The man has unbreakable connection with the natural world. Our ancestors believed in this connection, and it continues to be invisibly preserved today. So, Joao's talismans help save energy, protect against troubles, and give strength at crucial moments. The totem endows its owner with specific qualities and helps to reveal previously unknown talents and energy abilities. It is no coincidence that Joao’s totems and talismans are so in demand in modern world: They make their owner stronger.

Happy season: Autumn

Happy days of the week: Tuesday

Unlucky days of the week: Monday and Friday

Lucky Color: Blue

Mascot plant: Thistle

Talisman stones named after Joao: Copper, Iron, Topaz, Magnet, Aquamarine, Ruby, Carnelian, Hematite, Garnet, Sapphire

Spirit animal: Snake

Wood: Reed

Name compatibility

Astrology of the name Joao

There is a very close connection between the ruler of the name form and the planet. Therefore, knowing the astrological influence is no less important than the origin of the name Joao, which totems and talismans it has Joao, what nationality name? Joao, etc.

The Ruling Planet for the name Joao is Mars and Pluto. This planet gives the bearer of the name a number of advantages and disadvantages.

Benefits that the name Joao receives from Mars and Pluto: Perseverance, energy, zeal, efficiency

Disadvantages that the name Joao gives to Mars and Pluto: Cruelty, hatred, envy

Astrological color of name: Purple

Side of the world: West

Astrological stone: Turquoise, Danburite, Emerald

Representing animal: Stork, Raven, Cow, Fallow Deer, Fox, Peacock

Also, each letter of which it consists corresponds to one or another planet and has a direct influence on fate. name Joao (nationality Joao, whose name is not important in this case). If there are several identical letters in a name form, the influence of the corresponding planet increases as many times as this letter is repeated.

Dominant planet for Joao: Jupiter

The name Joao has special meaning according to the planet ruling the final letter. In some cases, no matter what nationality the name Joao has, What does the name Joao mean?, whose name, the final planet determines the duration and characteristics of the end of life.

Last planet named: Jupiter

Planetary number and meaning of the name Joao

Readers of the site will probably be interested to know what kind of name Joao is from the point of view of planetary numbers. The meaning of the name Joao, the origin of the name Joao indicates the planetary number 10. This name is ruled by Pluto.

Pluto, as the key planet of the name, sets the task of conquering all fears, learning to overcome any extreme situations and managing collective energies, leading other people.

Zodiac and Sacred number of the name Joao

The origin of the name João is determined by the Zodiac number 8, which corresponds to the zodiac sign Scorpio.

The key sign of Scorpio creates a field of risk and attraction of extreme situations. In the worst case, these names create a field of destruction around a person, into which the surrounding people can also fall. At best, they provide life-saving protection in extreme situations, help to overcome your fears and become different, to be reborn. All names associated with the sign of Scorpio are magical.

The sacred number that determines the meaning of the name Joao is 5, which corresponds to the zodiac sign Leo

Leos create a field of celebration, theater and games. They place a person in the center of attention of others and require brightness, visibility, the disclosure of talents and creative realization.

The editors of the site tried to collect the most full information which describes the origin of the name Joao, whose name is what does the name Joao mean, what nationality is Joao, Joao's talismans... Use this information correctly and you will definitely feel all the energy hidden in him.

In Russia now there is complete liberality for parents: register your child under any name that comes to mind. Call him Vanya if you want, or Sigismund if you want. Last year, for example, boys were born in Russia with the names Air Traffic Controller and Lettuce, and in 2011 one girl was named Medmia in honor of President Medvedev.

In Portugal, on the contrary, everything is very strict with names for children. There is a special list of names that can or cannot be given to young Portuguese. It is published on the website of the Ministry of Justice and is mandatory for all registering organizations.

It should be noted that although there are restrictions, the choice is still rich: hundreds of names fit on several dozen pages. For example, you can’t call a boy Adriane, but you can call him Adriano. There may not be an Agatha girl, but Ágata is quite appropriate. Instead of the name Alexei, the choice will fall on the pleasant Portuguese Aléxio, and instead of the pseudo-Greek Ulice, the proud and noble Ulisses will sound. By the way, according to one version, the origin of the name of the capital Lisbon is associated with the name of the cunning king of Ithaca, Ulysses-Odysseus.

Analyzing the list, it can be assumed that the undesirable ones included names of foreign origin, and the permitted ones were mainly the names of saints of the Catholic calendar, brought into full compliance with the rules of Portuguese spelling.

By the way, the restriction on the use of names only applies if both parents are Portuguese: immigrants are free to name their children as they please.

Do you want to know which names are the most popular in Portugal? If you are expecting analogues of the Russian Lettuce Salad, then you will be greatly disappointed, but if you are a supporter of beautiful classic names, this is good news for you. Among female names, the most popular in Portugal is Maria. And this is not surprising, given the religiosity of the Portuguese. The following places in descending order are occupied by Beatriz, Ana, Leonor, Mariana and Matilde.

Among male names, João is the leader. This is an analogue of the Russian name Ivan, usually read in Russian as Joao, although in fact the transcription Zhuan is more correct: the letter combination -ão has a complex pronunciation, something between “a”, “o” and “u”, pronounced through the nose, but with his mouth slightly open. To understand, try saying something between “Joao” and “Juan” - this will be the best option. I hope I confused you properly, so just believe that “Juan” is a slightly more correct Russian translation. In addition, connotations immediately arise with Don Juan, “The Stone Guest” and other examples of literature familiar from childhood.

In conclusion - a small lyrical digression in the style of Rudgyar Kipling's fairy tales, which can be called “Why do the Portuguese have such long names.”

The fact is that at birth a child is given two names, and from his parents he receives two surnames: both from the mother and from the father. The order of first and last names is standardized: first comes the first name, then the second, then the mother's last name, and then the father's last name. As a result, the newborn becomes not just Diogo, but, for example, Diogo Carlos Socrates Santos. Do you agree, it sounds? With such a name you can conquer the world, and everyone will say that you really have the right to do so.