Portuguese-English Bilingual Names for Your Brazilian-American Baby (with Meanings)
Having a baby? Congratulations! Choosing a bilingual name does not have to be hard. And if you happen to be looking for a Portuguese-English bilingual name for your baby, you are in luck! Here are 28 beautiful names for Brazilian-American families (and anyone else seeking a fun, bilingual baby name).
If you have not yet read my post about How to Choose a Bilingual Baby Name for Your Multicultural Family, I suggest that you first read it before reading this post. You will find an outline of some important things to consider as you choose a bilingual baby name. And those points will help you as you look through the list of Portuguese-English bilingual names here.
So go read that post first and then come back here. đ
*Jeopardy music plays in the background*
Now that you have some factors in mind as you consider names for your baby, here is a list of bilingual Portuguese-English baby names for boys and girls that we have found to cross the language barrier well. Their pronunciations, meanings, and spellings are quite similar (and sometimes identical) in both languages.
Perhaps some of them might work for your situation with another language, as well.
Each name on the list is followed by a brief summary of its meaning. Some of the meanings are not universally agreed upon (thus why there might be multiple or they might even be totally unrelated). So, as the parents, you get to choose the significance of the name for your child. đ
(I am editing a video with pronunciation examples of most of these names and will try to link it here soon. Come back again or check out my YouTube channel for an update.)
13 bilingual Portuguese-English Boyâs Names
1. Ian (a version of John, meaning âGod is graciousâ)
2. Lucca / Lucas (a version of Luke, meaning âgiver of light,â âbringer of light,â âsomeone from southern Italyâ)
3. Elias (a variant of Elijah, meaning âthe Lord is my Godâ)
4. Jonas (âa doveâ)
5. Alexander (this is a very popular name in Brazil with quite a few variations; âdefender of the peopleâ)
6. Benjamim (Portuguese version of Benjamin; âson of my right handâ)
7. Daniel (âGod is my judgeâ)
8. Joel (this is an older name that is not used often in modern Brazil; âYahweh is Godâ)
9. Asher (this name is very uncommon; âhappy,â âblessedâ)
10. Oscar (this name has various meanings, including âgentle friend,â âdivine spearman,â and âfriend of deerâ)
11. Jonathan (âGod has givenâ or âgift and grace of Godâ)
12. Davi (âbelovedâ)
13. Nicolas (âvictory of the peopleâ)
15 Portuguese-English Girlâs Names
1. Olivia (âolive treeâ)
2. Elena (âshining lightâ)
3. Clara (âbright,â âclearâ)
4. Vitoria (âvictoryâ)
5. Sofia (âwisdomâ)
6. Adelaide (“noble one”)
Note that this name is very uncommon. More common variants include âAdelaine.”
7. Carla (âfree woman,â âmanly,â âstrongâ)
8. Camila (this name is a little unclear in its meaning; âperfect,â âyoung religious servantâ)
9. Cecilia (âblindâ)
Cecilia is the Catholic patron saint of music.
10. Julia (âyouthful,â âdowny,â âcurly hairedâ)
This is a very popular name in Brazil and has multiple variations, including the longer form “Juliana.”
11. Ester (âstarâ)
Beware of using this name with the English spelling because /th/ has a /ch/ sound in Portuguese.
12. Isabel / Isabella (âdedicated to God,â âGod is my oathâ)
13. Joana (âGod is graciousâ)
14. Liliana (âlily flower,â âpurityâ)
15. Monica (âvirgin,â âadviserâ)
Final Thoughts
ParabĂŠns! Congratulations! I’m so excited for you and your growing family.
The process of choosing a baby name does not have to be complicated. You don’t have to lose half your head of hair while debating over names.
Hopefully this list of bilingual baby names helps you in the decision-making and–if nothing else–encourages you that there are plenty of beautiful names out there that can cross linguistic boundaries.
Don’t forget to leave a note in the comments about your name-picking journey! I’d love to hear!