Goan Catholic names and surnames explained

Goan Catholic names and surnames encompass the different types of names and surnames used by the Goan Catholics of Goa.

Names

Konkani language variants of most Goan Catholic names are derived from Hebrew, Greek, and Latin names from the Old and New Testament Biblical canons. Nowadays Hindu names like Sandeep, Rahul and Anita, etc. are also given. Portuguese names like António, João, Maria, Ana are also common among Goan Catholics who follow Portuguese culture. British names (e.g. Kevin, Shelley) and other European names (e.g. Benito, Heidi), which have no Konkani variants, are also popular.

Konkani namePortuguese variantEnglish variantMeaningSex
AntonAntónioAnthonyFlowerMale
ArkanjArcanjoArchangelArchangelFemale
BautisBatistaBaptistOne who baptizesMale
LorsoLourençoLawrenceSomeone from LaurentumMale
JakuJacobJamesHeel GrabberMale
JokiJoaquimJoachimHe whom God has set upMale
LazarLázaroLazarusGod has helpedMale
MagduMagdalenaMagdaleneTowerFemale
MoriMariaMaryBelovedFemale
MortinMartimMartinOf or like MarsMal
MonikMónicaMonicaTo adviseFemale
MotesMateusMatthewGift of GodMale
MingelMiguelMichaelWho is like God?Male
MontiMonteMonteMountMale
NatalinNatáliaNataliaBirthdayFemale
NikelNicolauNicholasVictory of the peopleMale
PauluPauloPaulSmallMale
PedruPedroPeterStoneMale
FilipFilipePhilipLover of HorsesMale
RakelRaquelRachelEwe or one with purityFemale
SilestSilasSylvesterWoodedMale
SalvaduSalvadorSalvadorSaviourMale
SaverXavierXavierNew houseMale
SimanvSimãoSimonHe (God) has heardMale
JuanvJoãoJohnGod is graciousMale
JebelIsabelElizabethMy God is my oathFemale
ZuzeJoséJosephThe Lord will addMale
Source: English-Konkani Dictionary and A Konkani Grammar

Surnames

The Portuguese surnames such as Rodrigues, Fernandes and Carvalho are commonly found among Goan Catholics after centuries of colonial rule in Portuguese Goa and Damaon, and generally follow the second declension. These Portuguese surnames are also observed among the Mangalorean Catholics, the Bombay East Indian Catholics, the Latin Catholics of Malabar, and in other Indo-Portuguese areas such as Damaon and Chaul. Portuguese surnames commonly appear across the world especially in the Lusophone countries of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Macao, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe and Mozambique.

Bold indicates common surnames
Italics indicates uncommon surnames

ABCDEFGHIJKLM
AdailtonBandeiraCabralda CostaEstevesFariaGamaHenriquesLoboMaciel
AbreuBaptistaCaeiroda RosaEstibeiroFernandesGomesLoweMartin
AdemirBacardoCaiado da CostaEstrocioFerreiraGonsalvesLeitaoMartins
AfonsoBarbosaCaladode CunhaFigueiraGonçalvesLuisMedeiros
AgostinhoBarbozCalistode MelloFurtadoGraciasMendonça
AguiarBarcelosCamarade PenhaFonsecaGurjãoMendonca
AlbertoBarcoCâmarade SouzaFerraoGodinhoMenezes
AlbuquerqueBarnesCamposD'CostaFaleiroGoesMoraes
AlcantaraBarretoCardinhoD'Cunha GoveasMachado
AldeiaBarrosCardosoD'OliveiraMendes
AlemaoBatistaCaridadeD'PenhaMiranda
AlfonsoBenedictoCarlosD'SouzaMascarenhas
AlmeidaBenjaminCarmoDiasMazarelo
AlvaBennisCarneiroDoradoMonserrate
AlvaresBentoCarrascoD'SilvaMarques
AlvesBorgesCarreirade SilvaMonteiro
Alves da SilvaBotelhoCarvalhoDourado
AlvimBragaCastanhaD'Cruz
AmaralBrancoCastelinoD'Lima
AmarildoBrandaoCastellinoD'Mello
AmbroseBrandãoCataoDuarte
AmorBritoCavacoDesa
AmorimBrittoCereja
AndradeBrunoChico
AntunesButhelloClement
AranhaBetancourtCoelho
AraújoBiscoitoColaço
AssunçãoBrazãoComa
AuroraBarrowsConceicao
AzavedoConceição
AzevedoConcessao
AtaideCorda
Cordeiro
Cordo
Correia
Corte
Corte-Real
Costa
Coutinho
Couto
Crasta
Crasto
Criado
Cruz
Cunha
NOP QRS TUVWXYZ
NascimentoOliveraPacheco QuadrosRangelSantosTavares Valadares XavierZuzarte
Nazareth OsorioPaisRaposo Saldanha TavoraValles
NevesPaesRasquinhaSalesTelesVaz
NoronhaPaivaRebelloSantamariaTellesVeiga
NunesPalhaRegoSantimanoTexeiraVelho
NerittaPalmeiraRemediosSapecoTorradoVerdes
PeixoteReveredoSardinhaTorresViegas
PereiraRibeiroSimoesTorquatoVieira
PeresRochaSanchesTravasso
PicardoRaicarSequeiraTrinidade
PimentaRodricksSilvaTravaco
PinheiroRodriguesSilveira Tauro
PinhoRosarioSuares
PintoSoares
PiresSouza
PovoSousa
Prazeres

See also: List of Portuguese surnames.

References