Portuguese Girl Names
Portuguese girl names are soft, graceful and deeply rooted in history. Portugal’s top names — Maria, Leonor, Matilde, Carolina — are the same names worn by medieval queens and princesses, and the country’s Catholic heritage adds a lovely tradition of names drawn from titles of the Virgin Mary, like Conceição, Graça and Luz.
Here are 100 Portuguese names for girls, each with its meaning, grouped by style, including pronunciation for the most popular ones. Browse the Portuguese names hub, match a brother’s name with our Portuguese boy names, or head across the Atlantic to Brazilian girl names.
Most popular Portuguese girl names in Portugal
Portugal’s birth registrations have been led by these names for years. Pronunciations reflect European Portuguese; in Brazil vowels are more open.
| Name | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Maria | Mary; possibly “beloved” or “bitter” | mah-REE-ah |
| Leonor | Portuguese Eleanor; possibly “light” | lee-oo-NOR |
| Matilde | “Mighty in battle” | mah-TEELD |
| Carolina | “Free woman” | kah-roo-LEE-nah |
| Alice | “Noble kind” | ah-LEES |
| Beatriz | “She who brings happiness” | bee-ah-TREESH |
| Benedita | “Blessed” | beh-neh-DEE-tah |
| Mariana | From Maria and Ana | mah-ree-AH-nah |
| Francisca | “Free one, Frenchwoman” | frahn-SEESH-kah |
| Inês | Portuguese Agnes, “pure” | ee-NESH |
| Laura | “Laurel” | LOW-rah |
| Margarida | “Pearl”; also “daisy” | mar-gah-REE-dah |
| Constança | “Steadfast” | kohn-SHTAHN-sah |
| Madalena | “From Magdala” | mah-dah-LEH-nah |
| Clara | “Bright, clear” | KLAH-rah |
| Luísa | “Famous warrior” | loo-EE-zah |
| Camila | “Young attendant” | kah-MEE-lah |
| Sofia | “Wisdom” | soo-FEE-ah |
Names of Portuguese queens and famous women
Portugal’s royal history is full of remarkable women whose names are still loved. For more regal ideas, try names that mean queen.
| Name | Famous bearer | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Isabel | Queen Saint Isabel of Aragon, “the Holy Queen” | Form of Elizabeth, “God is my oath” |
| Filipa | Philippa of Lancaster, mother of Henry the Navigator | “Lover of horses” |
| Catarina | Catherine of Braganza, Queen of England | “Pure” |
| Amélia | Queen Amélia, last queen of Portugal | “Work, industrious” |
| Teresa | Countess Teresa, mother of Portugal’s first king | Possibly “harvester” |
| Mafalda | Queen Mafalda of Savoy, wife of Afonso I | Portuguese Matilda, “mighty in battle” |
| Urraca | Queen Urraca, daughter of Afonso II | Possibly “magpie” |
| Brites | Old Portuguese form of Beatriz | “She who brings happiness” |
| Joana | Princess Saint Joana of Portugal | “God is gracious” |
| Amália | Amália Rodrigues, queen of fado | “Work” |
| Florbela | Florbela Espanca, poet | “Beautiful flower” |
| Guiomar | Guiomar Coutinho, wealthy 16th-century heiress | Possibly Germanic “famous in battle” |
Marian names: a Portuguese tradition
Many Portuguese women carry a name taken from a title of the Virgin Mary, often after Maria (Maria da Conceição is shortened to Conceição). They’re a beautiful, distinctly Lusophone choice.
| Name | Meaning | From the title |
|---|---|---|
| Fátima | The Marian shrine in Fátima, Portugal | Our Lady of Fátima |
| Conceição | “Conception” | Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
| Graça | “Grace” | Our Lady of Grace |
| Dores | “Sorrows” | Our Lady of Sorrows |
| Rosário | “Rosary” | Our Lady of the Rosary |
| Glória | “Glory” | Our Lady of Glory |
| Assunção | “Assumption” | The Assumption of Mary |
| Luz | “Light” | Our Lady of Light |
| Piedade | “Piety, mercy” | Our Lady of Piety |
| Aparecida | “She who appeared” | Brazil’s patron, Our Lady Aparecida |
| Lurdes | Portuguese spelling of Lourdes | Our Lady of Lourdes |
| Nazaré | The town of Nazareth; also a Portuguese seaside town | Our Lady of Nazaré |
Classic Portuguese girl names
Names of mothers and grandmothers in Portugal, timeless and easy to use anywhere. See also classic girl names.
| Name | Meaning | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Ana | “Grace” | Anne |
| Rita | Short for Margarita, “pearl” | Rita |
| Marta | “Lady, mistress” | Martha |
| Helena | “Torch, light” | Helen |
| Paula | “Small, humble” | Paula |
| Susana | “Lily” | Susan |
| Cristina | “Follower of Christ” | Christina |
| Patrícia | “Noble” | Patricia |
| Diana | Roman goddess of the moon | Diana |
| Raquel | “Ewe” | Rachel |
| Rosa | “Rose” | Rose |
| Vitória | “Victory” | Victoria |
| Lúcia | “Light”; one of the Fátima seers | Lucy |
| Irene | “Peace” | Irene |
Portuguese nature and flower names
Flowers, stars and the sky give these names their charm. More ideas in flower names for girls and names that mean star.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora | “Dawn” | Rising fast in Portugal |
| Flor | “Flower” | Short and sweet |
| Íris | “Rainbow”; the iris flower | Keeps its accent |
| Violeta | “Violet” | Vintage revival |
| Estrela | “Star” | Also a Portuguese mountain range |
| Pérola | “Pearl” | Glamorous |
| Açucena | “Madonna lily” | From Arabic, uniquely Iberian |
| Hortênsia | “Hydrangea”; “of the garden” | Old-fashioned |
| Jacinta | “Hyacinth”; one of the Fátima seers | Devotional too |
| Dália | “Dahlia” | Soft and floral |
| Celeste | “Heavenly” | Classic |
| Serena | “Calm, serene” | Gentle |
Short and modern Portuguese girl names
Crisp, contemporary names that feel equally at home in Porto, Paris or Philadelphia.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mia | “Mine” or short for Maria | Top-rated in Portugal |
| Lara | Possibly “protection” or “cheerful” | Popular in Portugal |
| Eva | “Life” | Timeless |
| Lia | “Weary” or short for names ending in -lia | Delicate |
| Pilar | “Pillar”; Our Lady of the Pillar | Spanish-influenced |
| Carlota | “Free woman” | Royal in Portugal |
| Maia | Greek goddess of spring | Nature feel |
| Nina | “Little girl” or short for Antonina | Cute and simple |
| Zoe | “Life” | International |
| Bia | Nickname for Beatriz | Playful |
| Salomé | “Peace” | Biblical |
| Noémia | Portuguese Naomi, “pleasantness” | Vintage |
| Luna | “Moon” | Loved in Brazil |
Girl names popular in Brazil
Brazil favors longer, romantic names and Italian-style choices. See our Brazilian names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Heloísa | “Healthy, wide” | Germanic, via French Héloïse |
| Valentina | “Strong, healthy” | Latin |
| Cecília | From a Roman family name, “blind” | Latin |
| Lívia | From a Roman family name | Latin |
| Manuela | “God with us” | Hebrew |
| Iara | “Lady of the waters”, a river spirit | Tupi |
| Antonella | Diminutive of Antonia | Italian |
| Lorena | From the French region Lorraine | French |
| Maitê | Possibly “beloved” | Basque |
| Isadora | “Gift of Isis” | Greek |
| Giovanna | “God is gracious” | Italian |
Portuguese compound girl names
Double names are a hallmark of Portugal and Brazil and are usually used in full.
| Name | Note |
|---|---|
| Maria João | Pairs Maria with João, a very Portuguese tradition |
| Ana Rita | A 1980s classic |
| Maria Inês | Soft and popular |
| Ana Sofia | Modern favorite |
| Maria Leonor | Regal and elegant |
| Ana Luísa | Classic combination |
| Maria Eduarda | Very popular in Brazil |
| Ana Clara | Bright and simple |
How to choose a Portuguese girl name
- Say it the Portuguese way. Inês is ee-NESH in Lisbon; a final -s often sounds like “sh”. Decide whether you’ll use Portuguese or English pronunciation.
- Keep the accents. Constança, Conceição and Luísa need their marks to be spelled correctly in Portugal.
- Consider a double name. Maria Leonor or Ana Sofia lets you honor two relatives and still use one as a nickname.
- Explore the Marian names. Names like Luz, Graça or Glória are short, meaningful and rarely heard outside the Portuguese-speaking world.
- Check the Spanish and Italian cousins. Compare with Spanish girl names and Italian girl names to pick the spelling you prefer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name in Portugal?
Maria has long been the most registered girl name in Portugal, often as part of a compound name. Leonor, Matilde, Carolina, Alice and Beatriz are also consistently near the top.
What are unique Portuguese girl names?
Benedita, Constança, Açucena, Brites, Florbela, Noémia and Marian names like Luz, Graça and Piedade are distinctive and genuinely Portuguese.
Why do so many Portuguese women have Maria in their name?
In Catholic Portugal, Maria was often combined with a title of the Virgin (Maria da Graça, Maria de Fátima), and many women go by the second part. Maria is also used as a middle name for boys.
What is the Portuguese version of Eleanor?
Leonor is the Portuguese form of Eleanor. It was the name of several Portuguese queens and is one of the country’s most popular names today.
How do you pronounce Inês?
In Portugal, Inês is pronounced “ee-NESH”; in Brazil it’s closer to “ee-NEYS”.