Brazilian Girl Names
Brazilian girl names tend to be soft, melodic and generous with vowels — Helena, Cecília, Maitê, Aurora. Parents draw on Portuguese Catholic tradition (there is a Maria in almost every family tree), Italian and German immigrant heritage, Tupi legends and global pop culture, and they aren’t shy about creative spellings. Below you’ll find 100+ Brazilian names for girls, grouped by style, with meanings and a quick guide to saying them the Brazilian way.
Pair this list with our Brazilian boy names or step back to the main Brazilian names page. If you love the Portuguese sound, our Portuguese girl names are a natural next stop.
Most popular Brazilian girl names
The names Brazilian parents register most often right now. Helena and Alice have led the list for several years.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Helena | eh-LEH-nah | Greek, “torch, bright light” |
| Alice | ah-LEE-see | Germanic, “noble” |
| Laura | LOW-rah | Latin, “laurel” |
| Valentina | vah-len-CHEE-nah | Latin, “strong, healthy” |
| Heloísa | eh-loh-EE-zah | Germanic, “healthy, wide” |
| Cecília | seh-SEE-lee-ah | Latin family name Caecilius |
| Lorena | loh-REH-nah | From the region of Lorraine |
| Lívia | LEE-vee-ah | Latin family name Livius |
| Manuela | mah-noo-EH-lah | Hebrew, “God is with us” |
| Sophia | soh-FEE-ah | Greek, “wisdom” |
| Isabella | ee-zah-BEH-lah | Hebrew, “pledged to God” |
| Antonella | an-toh-NEH-lah | Italian diminutive of Antonia |
| Beatriz | beh-ah-TREES | Latin, “she who brings happiness” |
| Lara | LAH-rah | Latin/Russian; possibly “protection” |
| Elisa | eh-LEE-zah | Short for Elisabete, “pledged to God” |
| Esther | es-TEHR | Persian, “star” |
| Mariana | mah-ree-AH-nah | Combination of Maria and Ana |
| Júlia | ZHOO-lee-ah | Latin family name Julius |
| Giovanna | zho-VAH-nah | Italian, “God is gracious” |
| Melissa | meh-LEE-sah | Greek, “honeybee” |
Maria double names
Maria is so common in Brazil that it is usually paired with a second name, and the pair is used together.
| Name | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Maria Alice | mah-REE-ah ah-LEE-see | A top-5 name in recent years |
| Maria Clara | mah-REE-ah KLAH-rah | “Maria, bright and clear” |
| Maria Cecília | mah-REE-ah seh-SEE-lee-ah | Very popular since the 2010s |
| Maria Luísa | mah-REE-ah loo-EE-zah | Classic and regal |
| Maria Júlia | mah-REE-ah ZHOO-lee-ah | Nickname Maju |
| Maria Eduarda | mah-REE-ah eh-doo-AR-dah | Nickname Duda; huge in the 2000s |
| Maria Fernanda | mah-REE-ah fer-NAN-dah | Nickname Nanda |
| Maria Vitória | mah-REE-ah vee-TOH-ree-ah | “Maria of victory” |
| Maria Helena | mah-REE-ah eh-LEH-nah | Pairs two top names |
| Maria Flor | mah-REE-ah FLOR | “Maria flower”; short and modern |
| Maria Valentina | mah-REE-ah vah-len-CHEE-nah | Romantic and long |
| Ana Clara | AH-nah KLAH-rah | The other favorite prefix: Ana |
| Ana Luísa | AH-nah loo-EE-zah | Soft and traditional |
| Ana Beatriz | AH-nah beh-ah-TREES | Nickname Bia |
Classic Brazilian names for girls
Names that were everywhere in the 20th century and are now coming back as vintage picks, much like our vintage girl names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ana | AH-nah | Hebrew, “grace” |
| Francisca | fran-SEES-kah | Latin, “free, French” |
| Antônia | an-TOH-nee-ah | Latin family name Antonius |
| Rosa | HOH-zah | Latin, “rose” |
| Luzia | loo-ZEE-ah | Latin, “light” |
| Aparecida | ah-pah-reh-SEE-dah | “Appeared,” for Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil’s patron |
| Conceição | kon-say-SOWN | “Conception,” a Marian title |
| Graça | GRAH-sah | “Grace” |
| Glória | GLOH-ree-ah | Latin, “glory” |
| Tereza | teh-REH-zah | Greek, possibly “harvester” |
| Lúcia | LOO-see-ah | Latin, “light” |
| Regina | heh-ZHEE-nah | Latin, “queen” |
| Sônia | SOH-nee-ah | Russian form of Sophia |
| Márcia | MAR-see-ah | Latin, “of Mars” |
| Vera | VEH-rah | Latin “true” / Russian “faith” |
| Fernanda | fer-NAN-dah | Germanic, “bold journey” |
| Patrícia | pah-TREE-see-ah | Latin, “noble” |
| Juliana | zhoo-lee-AH-nah | Latin family name Julianus |
Brazilian girl names from Tupi and Indigenous legend
Tupi names are some of the most distinctive Brazilian names. Several are tied to myths of rivers, the moon and the forest, so they also fit our names that mean moon.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Iara | ee-AH-rah | Tupi, “lady of the waters,” a river spirit of legend |
| Jaci | zhah-SEE | Tupi, “moon”; the moon goddess |
| Iracema | ee-rah-SEH-mah | Heroine of Alencar’s 1865 novel; popularly “honey lips” |
| Ceci | seh-SEE | Heroine of Alencar’s O Guarani |
| Araci | ah-rah-SEE | Tupi, possibly “mother of the day, dawn” |
| Potira | poh-CHEE-rah | Tupi, “flower” |
| Jandira | zhan-DEE-rah | Tupi, “honeybee” |
| Tainá | tai-NAH | Tupi, “star” |
| Moema | moh-EH-mah | Tupi, possibly “sweet”; from the poem Caramuru |
| Juçara | zhoo-SAH-rah | Tupi name of a palm tree |
| Janaína | zhah-nah-EE-nah | Popular name for the sea goddess Iemanjá |
| Maiara | mai-AH-rah | Tupi, possibly “wise woman” |
Modern and unique Brazilian girl names
Short, bright names with an international feel are the current trend. For more like these, see our unique girl names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Maitê | mai-TEH | Basque, “beloved” |
| Aurora | ow-ROH-rah | Latin, “dawn” |
| Liz | LEEZ | Short for Elizabeth, “pledged to God” |
| Ayla | AI-lah | Turkish, “halo of moonlight” |
| Pietra | pee-EH-trah | Italian, “stone” |
| Agatha | ah-GAH-tah | Greek, “good” |
| Zoe | ZOH-ee | Greek, “life” |
| Mavie | mah-VEE | German, “my life” (from French ma vie) |
| Jade | ZHAH-jee | The green gemstone |
| Stella | ES-teh-lah | Latin, “star” |
| Rebeca | heh-BEH-kah | Hebrew, possibly “to bind” |
| Ísis | EE-zees | Egyptian goddess |
| Kiara | kee-AH-rah | Italian Chiara, “clear, bright” |
| Luna | LOO-nah | Latin, “moon” |
| Olívia | oh-LEE-vee-ah | Latin, “olive tree” |
| Catarina | kah-tah-REE-nah | Greek, possibly “pure” |
| Clara | KLAH-rah | Latin, “clear, bright” |
| Eloá | eh-loh-AH | Possibly Hebrew, “God”; a Brazilian favorite |
| Yasmin | yahz-MEEN | Persian, the jasmine flower |
| Emanuelly | eh-mah-noo-EH-lee | Brazilian form of Emmanuelle, Hebrew “God is with us” |
| Lavínia | lah-VEE-nee-ah | Latin; wife of Aeneas in Roman legend |
| Mirella | mee-REH-lah | Italian, possibly from Latin “to admire” |
| Gabriela | gah-bree-EH-lah | Hebrew, “God is my strength” |
| Larissa | lah-REE-sah | Greek; a city in Thessaly |
Names of famous Brazilian women
Singers, writers, athletes and heroines who made these names iconic in Brazil.
| Name | Famous bearer | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Gisele | Gisele Bündchen | Supermodel from Rio Grande do Sul |
| Marta | Marta Vieira da Silva | Six-time FIFA World Player of the Year |
| Elis | Elis Regina | Legendary MPB singer |
| Carmen | Carmen Miranda | Samba star of Hollywood films |
| Clarice | Clarice Lispector | Modernist novelist |
| Tarsila | Tarsila do Amaral | Modernist painter of Abaporu |
| Anita | Anita Garibaldi | Revolutionary heroine of two worlds |
| Chiquinha | Chiquinha Gonzaga | First woman to conduct an orchestra in Brazil |
| Dandara | Dandara of Palmares | Afro-Brazilian warrior of Quilombo dos Palmares |
| Ivete | Ivete Sangalo | Axé music superstar from Bahia |
| Gal | Gal Costa | Tropicália singer |
| Rayssa | Rayssa Leal | Olympic skateboarding medalist |
| Bebel | Bebel Gilberto | Bossa nova singer; nickname for Isabel |
| Xuxa | Xuxa Meneghel | Children’s TV icon; nickname for Maria da Graça |
How to choose a Brazilian girl name
- Remember the soft endings: Alice is “ah-LEE-see” in Brazil, and names ending in -e always add an “ee” sound.
- If you love Maria, choose it as the first half of a double name — Maria Clara or Maria Flor — the way Brazilian families do.
- Tupi names like Iara, Jaci and Tainá are short, meaningful and easy to spell in English.
- Check the accents: Cecília, Lívia and Heloísa carry them in Portuguese, but you can drop them in English if you prefer.
- Nicknames matter in Brazil — Maria Eduarda becomes Duda and Ana Beatriz becomes Bia — so make sure you like the short form too.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name in Brazil?
Helena and Alice have topped recent Brazilian registry lists, with Laura, Maria Alice, Valentina and Heloísa close behind.
Why are there so many Marias in Brazil?
Maria honors the Virgin Mary and has been the most common female name in Brazil for generations, so it is usually paired with a second name to tell people apart.
What is a Tupi name for a girl?
Iara, Jaci, Potira, Tainá and Jandira are Tupi names. Iara is a river spirit of legend and Jaci is the moon.
What Brazilian girl name means “moon”?
Jaci means moon in Tupi. Luna, from Latin, is also popular in Brazil.
Is Iracema a real name?
Yes. It was popularized by José de Alencar’s 1865 novel Iracema, and it is often said to be an anagram of América.