Tracing Your Portuguese Immigrant Ancestors

Whether your family comes from the mainland of Portugal or the islands of the Azores or Madeira, you’ll need to understand the unique challenges that Portuguese immigrant research presents so that you can navigate them.

Portuguese Surnames and Naming Customs

Historical Portuguese naming customs can play an important role in the ways people may be listed in official records, and especially in how names can change over time.

To start, a child who was born and baptized into the Roman Catholic Church in Portugal usually had one given name, although sometimes it was more. But as the child grew up, their given name and surname could significantly change. Here are a few cultural practices to keep in mind as you research your family’s story.

• A small pool of names: Culturally, as a Catholic nation, the Portuguese usually named their children after a saint. Almost every family had a Manoel/Manuel, a José, and a Maria. (Generally, Manoel was the oldest son, though not always.) This use of the limited number of saints’ names can make it challenging to identify the correct records for your ancestors. It’s easy to mix up two people or to conflate them, meaning that two people are mistaken for the same person.
• Changing given names: As a child grew older, they often added given names.
• Different surnames within the same family: When a child reached adulthood, they were allowed to choose their own surname. Usually it was their father’s or mother’s surname, or a grandparent’s. Sometimes it was a godparent’s name or a person they admired. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the children of the same couple to have different surnames from each other.
• Women’s surnames: Women in Portugal frequently did not use a surname, though some did. Often, once an immigrant came to the United States, the woman adopted the custom of using their father’s or their husband’s surname as their own, but this was not always the case.
• Anglicized surnames: Many Portuguese immigrants translated their names into English or they transitioned them phonetically. For example, Pereira to Perry, Moraes to Morris, Ignacio to Enos, Silveira to Silver, Rais to King. Given names were also often Anglicized, such as João to John.

Navigating Research Challenges Connected with Portuguese Surnames

Two strategies can help you determine whether or not you’re focused on the “right” people—your family members:

1. Pay attention to addresses. Knowing exactly where your family lived will make it easier to identify the correct people in the records. The 1900 through 1950 U.S. federal censuses often have the street written in the left margin with the house number in the first column of the census. If your family lived on 643 Oak St., Fall River, Massachusetts, in the 1900 census, and you find a naturalization record for someone of the same name, but their address is in New Bedford, Massachusetts, you will know to question if it is the same person or not.
2. Find all possible siblings or children in a family. Knowing the ages and birth order of all the children in a family can help you identify the correct records for your family. When you review census records, compare the names and ages of the entire household to see if they generally line up.

Finding an Ancestor’s Town of Origin

Trying to find your immigrant ancestor’s exact birthplace can be tricky. But once you find the correct one, you can then locate the Catholic sacramental records (births, marriages, deaths) to learn more about your family. Several types of records on Ancestry may help you locate a birth town:

• Naturalization records. Before 1906, these records, often filed in county courts, usually only named the country of origin or the monarch they no longer swore allegiance to. After 1906, naturalization records became much more detailed and chances are higher that the record will name a specific birthplace. If your ancestor naturalized before 1906, you may still find a potential birthplace by checking to see if any of their siblings or other relatives naturalized afterward.
• Passenger lists. Records before the mid 1890s often only give the country of origin, but after the mid 1890s, passenger lists could name the town of the person’s last residence or a specific birthplace. These often also list who the immigrant was going to at their final destination, usually a relative. If your ancestor immigrated before the 1890s, check if any of their siblings or other relatives immigrated afterward to discover a likely hometown.
• Passport applications. It was relatively common for immigrants or their children to return to their place of origin to visit family. Their passport applications often gave the place they were traveling to, as well as their parents’ names and their birthplaces. One Portuguese-specific record collection is the Madeira, Portugal, Passport Index, 1872-1925 (in Portuguese).
• Death records and obituaries: Other records where your ancestor’s place of birth might be mentioned are on their death certificate or in their obituary. Sometimes the place of origin might only say “Portugal,” but you may find a more specific mention like “the Azores” or even “Funchal.”

Discover your Portuguese Roots

Portuguese immigrant research can be especially tricky, and requires detailed analysis and careful research to make sure you’re tracing the correct person. Understanding naming patterns and looking for all the members of a family can help you delineate which family is yours.

See what stories you can find about your Portuguese family with an Ancestry^® free trial. And if you find yourself stuck or wishing to visit your family homeland, our AncestryProGenealogists^® services could take you the extra mile in learning about your family’s origins in Portugal.