The names Maria and Ana (both feminine) are very popular combined with a second name. These days, almost every Portuguese woman over 50 is named "Maria Something" - often with a religious second name like Maria da Conceição (Conception), Maria da Assunção (Assumption), Maria do Céu (Heaven or Sky), etc. Nowadays, this tradition goes on, although the religious second names are now very uncommon (except maybe for Maria do Carmo). In the other hand, there are many girls called Maria Francisca, Maria Inês, Maria Teresa or simply Maria.

Around the 1960s, the name Ana became almost as popular as Maria for a first "combined" name - therefore, you can find many woman called Ana Paula, Ana Teresa, Ana Luísa, Ana Margarida, Ana Rita or even Ana Maria.

These women usually go by their second names.

For boys, the names João and José are also very used with a second name. The name Maria can be used for boys as a second name (José Maria, João Maria, Francisco Maria, António Maria...), often with a religious meaning (devotion to the Virgin Mary).

In Portugal, traditional names like Catarina, Joana, Mariana, Pedro, António or Gonçalo are very popular. Less historical names were gradually absorbed and became also very common, like Cátia, Sandra, Marisa, Fábio, Bruno or Ruben. The introduction of foreign names and new spellings has been stopped by strict naming laws - there is a list of officially approved names and if parents want to name their child something different, that name must be approved by the authorities.

In Brazil, while there are also naming laws, some local authorities are less willing to enforce the law in opposition to the parents right of choice, limiting the restrictions only to ensure the correct spelling of common names, and the avoidance of ridiculous names which would prove prejudicial to the child in the near and far future. As a result Brazilian names are of many more different origins (e.g. Iara, Iracema, Jacira, Moacir - Amerindian origin).

Appendix:Portuguese given names

Male

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

X

Z

Female

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

X

Z

Observations

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