Although many people associate European citizenship only with German or Italian surnames, in the case of Portugal the situation is a little different
Have you ever stopped to think that your family’s surnames can be linked to the right to Portuguese citizenship?
It may seem surprising, but this connection is more common than you think.
Although many people associate European citizenship only with German or Italian surnames, in Portugal the situation is a little different.
In fact, many Brazilians have Portuguese origins, but do not realize it immediately.
This is because the Portuguese surnames, over time, have become so present in Brazil that they have gone unnoticed.
List of surnames that can entitle Portuguese citizenship
Firstly, it is important to highlight that Portuguese surnames are extremely common in Brazil.
Unlike typical names in Italy or Germany, which usually stand out for their sound or written, Lusitanian surnames easily mix with everyday life.
As a result, many people do not even suspect that they have Portuguese ancestry.
As names like “Rossi” or “Müller” soon arouse attention, names like “Silva” or “Costa” seem as Brazilian as any other.
However, this familiarity can hide a legitimate European origin.
See the list of common Portuguese surnames in Brazil
To facilitate your identification, we have listed below some of the most frequent Portuguese surnames among Brazilians.
Remember that this is not a definitive list, but it serves as a starting point for those who want to investigate their origins.
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Santos
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Azevedo
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Barros
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Carvalho
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Correia
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Fernandes
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Garcia
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Machado
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Martins
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Pinto
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Silva
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Costa
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Jesus
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Oliveira
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Pereira
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Ferreira
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Lopes
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Gomes
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Silveira
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Rodrigues
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Gonçalves
If you have one of these surnames in your family, this can be a good indicative.
Also, even if your name does not appear here, it is quite possible that you know someone who has it, which shows how these names are spread throughout Brazil.
Having a Portuguese last name guarantees citizenship?
Despite being an excellent sign, having one of these surnames does not automatically guarantee the right to Portuguese citizenship.
This is because the government of Portugal requires documentary evidence of the ancestry.
That is, it is necessary to present records such as birth certificates, marriage and death that prove the line of descent to a Portuguese ancestor.
In addition, there are other ways to obtain citizenship, such as residency, marriage to a Portuguese citizen or even by offspring of Seplanted Safadites expelled from Portugal for centuries.
Therefore, the surname is just one of the possible tracks.
What if your last name is not on the list?
Don’t worry. The fact that your name does not appear among the surnames listed here does not mean that you are not entitled to Portuguese citizenship.
Many surnames have been modified throughout generations, either by notary, marriage or even family choice.
Therefore, the ideal is to start a deeper genealogical research.
Seek to talk to older relatives, bring together old documents and, if possible, to have the help of a citizenship expert.
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