Brazilian Boy Names
Brazilian boy names mix Portuguese tradition with a very Brazilian love of sound. Parents happily borrow from English, Italian, Hebrew and Tupi, then give it all a Brazilian twist — which is how you get classrooms full of Arthurs, Enzos, Davis and João Miguels. This list collects 100+ names for boys, from current registry favorites to old-school classics, with meanings and tips on how they are pronounced in Brazilian Portuguese.
Remember that Brazilian Portuguese softens many sounds: a final -e sounds like “ee,” and ti/di become “chee”/“jee,” so Davi is “dah-VEE” and Tiago is “chee-AH-go.” For more, see our Brazilian girl names, the main Brazilian names guide and our Portuguese boy names from across the Atlantic.
Most popular Brazilian boy names today
These names have dominated Brazilian birth registries in recent years. Miguel and Arthur have traded the top spot for much of the past decade.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Miguel | mee-GEL | Hebrew, “who is like God?” |
| Arthur | ar-TOOR | Celtic, possibly “bear” |
| Gael | gah-EL | Breton; associated with “generous” |
| Heitor | ay-TOR | Portuguese form of Hector, “holding fast” |
| Theo | TEH-oh | Greek, “god” |
| Davi | dah-VEE | Portuguese form of David, “beloved” |
| Gabriel | gah-bree-EL | Hebrew, “God is my strength” |
| Bernardo | ber-NAR-doo | Germanic, “brave as a bear” |
| Samuel | sah-moo-EL | Hebrew, “God has heard” |
| Ravi | hah-VEE | Sanskrit, “sun” |
| Noah | NOH-ah | Hebrew, “rest” |
| Lorenzo | loh-REN-zoo | Italian, “from Laurentum” |
| Pedro | PEH-droo | Greek, “stone, rock” |
| Benjamin | ben-zha-MEEN | Hebrew, “son of the right hand” |
| Isaac | ee-zah-KEE | Hebrew, “he will laugh” |
| Matheus | mah-TEH-oos | Hebrew, “gift of God” |
| Lucas | LOO-kas | Latin, “from Lucania”; light |
| Nicolas | nee-koh-LAHS | Greek, “victory of the people” |
| Joaquim | zhwah-KEEN | Hebrew, “raised by God” |
| Rafael | hah-fah-EL | Hebrew, “God heals” |
Double names (nomes compostos)
Brazilians love two-part first names, used together every day. João and Pedro are the most common building blocks.
| Name | Pronunciation | Why parents like it |
|---|---|---|
| João Pedro | zhwow PEH-droo | The classic Brazilian combination |
| João Miguel | zhwow mee-GEL | A top-10 choice in recent years |
| João Lucas | zhwow LOO-kas | Soft and friendly |
| Pedro Henrique | PEH-droo en-HEE-kee | Regal, very common since the 1990s |
| Luiz Felipe | loo-EEZ feh-LEE-pee | Elegant pairing of two classics |
| Carlos Eduardo | KAR-loos eh-doo-AR-doo | Traditional, nickname Cadu |
| Enzo Gabriel | EN-zoo gah-bree-EL | Modern favorite |
| Arthur Miguel | ar-TOOR mee-GEL | Two chart-toppers in one |
| Davi Lucca | dah-VEE LOO-kah | Trendy 2010s combo |
| Paulo Victor | POW-loo VEEK-tor | Strong and classic |
| José Carlos | zho-ZEH KAR-loos | Old-school and warm |
| Antônio Carlos | an-TOH-nee-oo KAR-loos | Worn by Tom Jobim (Antônio Carlos Jobim) |
| Luiz Otávio | loo-EEZ oh-TAH-vee-oo | Distinguished, nickname Tavinho |
| Marco Antônio | MAR-koo an-TOH-nee-oo | Roman flair |
Classic Brazilian names for boys
Grandfathers’ names with Portuguese and Catholic roots. Many are also on our classic boy names list in their English forms.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| José | zho-ZEH | Hebrew, “God will add” |
| João | zhwow | Hebrew, “God is gracious” |
| Antônio | an-TOH-nee-oo | Latin family name Antonius |
| Francisco | fran-SEES-koo | Latin, “Frenchman” |
| Paulo | POW-loo | Latin, “small” |
| Carlos | KAR-loos | Germanic, “free man” |
| Sebastião | seh-bas-chee-OWN | Greek, “venerable” |
| Raimundo | hai-MOON-doo | Germanic, “counsel, protection” |
| Manoel | mah-noo-EL | Hebrew, “God with us” |
| Fernando | fer-NAN-doo | Germanic, “bold journey” |
| Ricardo | hee-KAR-doo | Germanic, “brave ruler” |
| Roberto | hoh-BER-too | Germanic, “bright fame” |
| Sérgio | SER-zhee-oo | Latin family name Sergius |
| Rodrigo | hoh-DREE-goo | Germanic, “famous ruler” |
| Marcelo | mar-SEH-loo | Latin, “little warrior” (from Mars) |
| Luiz | loo-EEZ | Germanic, “famous warrior” |
| Eduardo | eh-doo-AR-doo | English, “wealthy guardian” |
| Leandro | leh-AN-droo | Greek, “lion man” |
Modern and trendy Brazilian boy names
Short, international-sounding names are huge in Brazil right now, including some borrowed from pop culture.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Bento | BEN-too | Portuguese form of Benedict, “blessed” |
| Enzo | EN-zoo | Italian, possibly from Heinz, “home ruler” |
| Benício | beh-NEE-see-oo | Latin, possibly “benevolent” |
| Anthony | AN-to-nee | English form of Antonius |
| Bryan | BRAI-an | Celtic, possibly “noble” |
| Caio | KAI-oo | Latin Gaius, possibly “to rejoice” |
| Thales | TAH-lees | Greek philosopher; “flourishing” |
| Ícaro | EE-kah-roo | Portuguese form of Icarus |
| Otávio | oh-TAH-vee-oo | Latin, “eighth” |
| Valentim | vah-len-CHEEN | Latin, “strong, healthy” |
| Apollo | ah-POH-loo | Greek god of music and light |
| Dom | DOHM | Latin dominus, “lord” |
| Yuri | YOO-ree | Russian form of George, “farmer” |
| Kalel | kah-LEL | From Superman’s birth name, Kal-El |
| Vicente | vee-SEN-chee | Latin, “conquering” |
| Murilo | moo-REE-loo | Possibly Spanish Murillo, “little wall” |
| Henrique | en-HEE-kee | Germanic, “home ruler” |
| Levi | LEH-vee | Hebrew, “joined” |
| Pietro | pee-EH-troo | Italian form of Peter |
| Ian | EE-an | Scottish form of John |
Brazilian boy names from Tupi and Indigenous roots
Many Tupi names entered Brazilian use through 19th-century Romantic novels by José de Alencar. For more Indigenous names from the Americas, see our Native American boy names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ubirajara | oo-bee-rah-ZHAH-rah | Tupi, “lord of the spear”; title of an Alencar novel |
| Moacir | moh-ah-SEER | Tupi, “son of suffering,” from the novel Iracema |
| Peri | peh-REE | Hero of Alencar’s novel O Guarani |
| Kauã | kah-oo-AN | Tupi, a hawk (the laughing falcon) |
| Tupã | too-PAN | Tupi spirit of thunder |
| Guaraci | gwah-rah-SEE | Tupi, “sun” |
| Raoni | hah-oh-NEE | Kayapó chief and rainforest activist Raoni Metuktire |
| Iberê | ee-beh-REH | Tupi, possibly “one who flies” |
| Jurandir | zhoo-ran-DEER | Tupi, possibly “brought by the light of heaven” |
| Ubiratã | oo-bee-rah-TAN | Tupi, possibly “hard spear” |
| Taiguara | tai-GWAH-rah | Tupi, possibly “free man” |
Brazilian soccer legend names
In a country where footballers are known by one name, these are the names every Brazilian recognizes. Several would suit a pet too — see our dog names.
| Name | Famous bearer | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Edson | Edson Arantes do Nascimento, “Pelé” | Named after Thomas Edison |
| Ronaldo | Ronaldo Nazário, “O Fenômeno” | Germanic, “ruler’s counsel” |
| Romário | Romário de Souza Faria | 1994 World Cup hero |
| Rivaldo | Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira | 2002 World Cup winner |
| Sócrates | Sócrates Brasileiro | Doctor-footballer, named for the philosopher |
| Zico | Arthur Antunes Coimbra | Nickname from Arthurzico |
| Neymar | Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior | Named after his father |
| Vinícius | Vinícius Júnior | Latin, “wine”; also poet Vinícius de Moraes |
| Kaká | Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite | Nickname for Ricardo |
| Cafu | Marcos Evangelista de Morais | Captain of the 2002 team |
| Garrincha | Manuel Francisco dos Santos | Nickname: a small wren |
| Casemiro | Carlos Henrique Casemiro | Portuguese form of Casimir (Slavic) |
| Rodrygo | Rodrygo Goes | Brazilian spelling of Rodrigo |
Brazilian nicknames for boys
The Portuguese diminutive -inho (“little”) turns almost any name into a nickname — even for grown men.
| Nickname | From | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Juninho | Júnior | “Little junior” |
| Zezinho | José | Little Zé |
| Joãozinho | João | Little João |
| Tico | Various, often Antônio | Affectionate short form |
| Guto | Augusto, Gustavo | Short form |
| Dudu | Eduardo | Childhood nickname |
| Cadu | Carlos Eduardo | Initial-based nickname |
| Tatá | Otávio, Túlio | Playful baby nickname |
How to choose a Brazilian boy name
- Say it the Brazilian way: an initial R sounds like an English H, so Rafael is “ha-fah-EL” and Ricardo “hee-KAR-doo.”
- Watch the accents — Antônio, José and Sebastião need them in Portuguese, but they are often dropped on US documents.
- If you want a double name, pair a short name with a longer one (João Pedro, Davi Lucca) so the rhythm flows.
- Names like Theo, Lucas, Noah and Gabriel work equally well in Brazil and English-speaking countries.
- Think about the diminutive: every Pedro will be Pedrinho at some point.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular boy name in Brazil?
Miguel and Arthur have been the top boy names in Brazilian registries for most recent years, followed by names like Gael, Heitor, Theo and Davi.
Why do so many Brazilian boys have double names?
Compound names such as João Pedro or Pedro Henrique are a Portuguese Catholic tradition that became a fashion of its own in Brazil, and both parts are normally used together.
What is a traditional Brazilian boy name?
José, João, Antônio, Francisco and Sebastião are traditional choices with Portuguese and Catholic roots.
Are there Brazilian names from Indigenous languages?
Yes. Names such as Ubirajara, Moacir, Kauã and Guaraci come from Tupi, often popularized by 19th-century literature.
How is “João” pronounced?
Roughly “zhwow,” with a nasal ending, as if saying “now” through your nose with a soft zh at the start.