The origin of portuguese surnames- Unit 1- web search

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Portuguese surnames

In Portugal we have 4 kings of surnames:
1 – Surnames that became from first names, for example my surname Mendes becomes from the first name Mendo. Mendes is the surname of Mendo’s sons.
2 – Surname’s with influence from the catholic religion. Portugal was (and still is) a very religious country. Most of our surnames have a religious origin. For example: Santos (Saints), Espirito Santo (Holly Spirit).
3 – Surnames that have its origins in city names. For example, Braga, Castelo Branco and Guimarães are Portuguese cities but also, Portuguese surnames.
4 – Finally we have surnames that became from nicknames. For instances, its usual to find someone with a surname like Coelho (Rabbit), Pereira (Pear Tree) or Cara Linda (beautiful face).