Brazilian girl names blend Portuguese roots, Indigenous Tupi and Guarani heritage, African influences, and a strong Catholic tradition. Below is an A–Z list of Brazilian female names, the 25 most popular picks with meanings, and the names that topped Brazil’s 2025 birth registries.
Most popular Brazilian girl names right now
These are the official full-year 2025 rankings from Brazil’s civil registry (Arpen-Brasil’s Portal da Transparência, published December 2025). Helena has held the number-one spot two years running, and Maria remains the most common name in the country overall by IBGE’s 2022 census data.
| Rank | Name | 2025 registrations | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helena | 28,271 | Bright, shining light | Greek (via Portuguese) |
| 2 | Maitê | 20,677 | Beloved | Basque |
| 3 | Cecília | 20,378 | From Caecilia; St Cecilia is the patron of musicians | Latin |
| 4 | Maria Cecília | 16,889 | Compound of Maria + Cecília | Hebrew/Latin |
| 5 | Aurora | 16,506 | Dawn | Latin |
| 6 | Alice | 14,777 | Noble, of the nobility | Germanic (via French) |
| 7 | Laura | 14,487 | Laurel, victory | Latin |
| 8 | Antonella | 10,436 | Priceless, worthy of praise | Latin (via Italian) |
| 9 | Isis | 10,378 | After the ancient Egyptian goddess | Egyptian |
| 10 | Heloísa | 9,703 | Famous warrior | Germanic (via French) |
Just outside the official top 10 but still everywhere in Brazilian maternity wards: Maria, Sophia/Sofia, Manuela, Júlia, Lara, Isabella, Valentina, Liz, Lívia, Eloá, Beatriz, Ana, Pietra, Yasmin, Esther, Olívia, and Mariana.
Where Brazilian names come from
- Portuguese and Latin roots. Most Brazilian names come straight from European Portuguese — Maria, Ana, Joana, Beatriz, Catarina. Catholic saints’ names dominate this layer.
- Indigenous Tupi and Guarani. Names like Iara (lady of the waters), Iracema (lips of honey), Janaína (Yoruba-Tupi sea goddess), and Tainá (star) come from native languages. They surged in the 1990s and remain popular as a way to honor Brazil’s pre-colonial heritage.
- African heritage. Names tied to Afro-Brazilian religions — Iemanjá (queen of the sea, Candomblé), Oxum, Dandara (after the Quilombo warrior) — carry strong cultural meaning.
- Compound names. Brazil leans heavily on Maria-prefixed pairs (Maria Cecília, Maria Eduarda, Maria Clara) and Ana-prefixed pairs (Ana Júlia, Ana Beatriz). They’re official, registered as one name on the birth certificate.
- International borrowings. Names like Yasmin, Stella, Antonella, and Maitê show Brazil’s openness to Italian, Basque, Persian, and English-language picks.
A–Z list of Brazilian girl names
A
| Adriana | Agacia | Agnese | Agueda | Aidia |
| Aislara | Alameda | Alandra | Alanza | Alazne |
| Albertine | Aldene | Aldonsa | Aldonza | Alegria |
| Alejandra | Alejandrina | Alexandre | Aliane | Ana |
| Andira | Angelina | Aparecida | Arika | Aurinha |
B
| Barvara | Beatrisa | Beatriz | Belen | Belinda |
| Benigna | Benita | Bernicia | Bethania | Bibiana |
| Bienvenida | Blanca | Bruna |
C
| Carla | Carolina | Cassia | Celia | Celina |
| Charmene | Claudenize | Claudia | Cristiana |
D
| Damita | Dani | Deiene | Deina | Delcine |
| Delma | Delmar | Delmara | Denisa | Desideria |
| Dionisa | Dita | Dolores | Dolorita | Domenica |
| Dominga | Dona | Dorbeta | Dorotea | Drina |
| Duena | Dukine | Dulce | Dulcina |
E
| Edeli | Eliana | Elena | Elina | Elisa |
| Eloisa | Elsa | Elvera | Elvira | Elvita |
| Elzineia | Ema | Emerald | Emesta | Emilia |
| Encarnacion | Endrica | Engracia | Enrica | Enriqua |
| Enriqueta | Erendira |
F
| Fabiana | Faqueza | Fausta | Faustina | Fe |
| Felepita | Felicita | Fernanda | Flavia |
G
| Gabriela | Genoveva | Geny | Gerarda | Gertrudes |
| Gertrudis | Ginebra | Ginessa | Giselli | Gitana |
| Gloria | Gracia | Graciana | Graciela | Gregoria |
| Guadalupe | Guillermina | Gustava |
H
| Helena | Heloísa | Honoratas | Honoria | Hortencia |
I
| Iara | Idoia | Idolina | Idonia | Iemanja |
| Ignacia | Igone | Iracema | Irasema | Iris |
| Isabella | Isadora | Isaurides |
J
| Jacarei | Janaina | Jasone | Javiera | Jesusa |
| Jimena | Jisa | Joana | Joaquina | Jordana |
| Jorgelina | Josefa | Josefina | Josilene | Josune |
| Jovana | Jovena | Jovina | Jovita | Juana |
| Juanetta | Juanisha | Juanita | Julia |
K
| Kaba | Kachiri | Kaiala | Katryny | Kay |
L
| La’Raesa | Lara | Laura | Lia | Ligia |
| Linez | Liz | Lívia | Luciana | Lucina |
| Ludimilia | Luisa |
M
| Maitê | Manuela | Marabo | Marcela | Margareth |
| Marguarita | Maria | Maria-Antonia | Maria Cecília | Maria Eduarda |
| Mariana | Marina | Mirelli | Monique | Monize |
N
| Nade | Nalda | Nana | Narcisa | Natalia |
| Natividad | Nelia | Nelida | Nerea | Neta |
| Neva | Nevada | Nicanora | Nicolasa |
O
| Olívia | Osane |
P
| Paciencia | Palmira | Paloma | Paquita | Pascuala |
| Pastora | Patricia | Paula | Pauleta | Perfecta |
| Pia | Piedad | Pietra | Pilar | Placida |
| Priscila | Primavera | Prudencia | Puca | Puebla |
| Pura | Pureza | Purificacion | Purisima |
Q
| Quela | Querida | Quinta | Quixada |
R
| Raquel | Regina | Renata | Rica | Ricarda |
| Rio | Rita | Rocio | Roderiga | Roldana |
| Romana | Rosalind | Rosalinda | Rosalinde | Rosamaria |
| Rosario | Rosilaine | Rufa | Rufina |
S
| Samampo | Sanderlei | Sandia | Selena | Senalda |
| Senna | Senobia | Senona | Serafina | Serena |
| Sevilla | Shaista | Shoshana | Sibelia | Sierra |
| Silvia | Simona | Sintia | Socorro | Sofia |
| Solana | Soledad | Soledada | Stefania | Suelita |
| Susana |
T – U
| Tanda | Tainá | Thais | Terceira | Teresa |
| Teresita | Tierra | Trella | Ula | Ursulina |
V
| Valdirene | Valencia | Valentina | Vanesa | Vania |
| Vavara | Ventura | Verdad | Veta | Vicenta |
| Vina | Virginia | Vittoria | Viviane-Maria | Viviane |
X
| Xalbadora | Xalvadora | Xandra | Xaviera | Xevera |
| Xeveria | Xhana |
Y
| Yanamarie | Yasmin | Yesenia | Yoana | Yolanda |
Z
| Zaina | Zamora | Zandra | Zanetta | Zanita |
| Zelia |
FAQs
What’s the most popular girl name in Brazil?
By annual birth registries, Helena has been number one since 2023. By the country’s overall name count (IBGE 2022 census, published 2025), Maria is still the most common — almost 12 million Brazilian women carry it as a first or compound name.
Are compound names like “Maria Eduarda” treated as one name?
Yes. Brazilian birth certificates register them as a single first name. They’re spoken and written together in everyday use.
Which Brazilian girl names come from Indigenous languages?
Iara, Iracema, Janaína, Tainá, Cauã (more often male), Jandira, and Moema all come from Tupi or Guarani. They’re considered fully Brazilian today and recognized by civil registries.
Is “Maria” still given on its own?
Less often. Modern parents almost always pair it: Maria Cecília, Maria Clara, Maria Eduarda, Maria Helena, Maria Júlia. Maria as a stand-alone is more common with older generations.
Are unusual Brazilian names legal at the registry?
Generally yes. Brazilian law (Lei de Registros Públicos, Art. 55) lets parents name children freely, but a registrar can refuse names that “expose the child to ridicule.” Parents can appeal.
Read also: Igbo names and their meanings