Paiva Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Paiva last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Paiva last name
Meaning of the Paiva last name: "from the Paiva river". Paiva is a Portuguese surname from the Paiva river and valley in the district of Viseu and Aveiro. Afonso de Paiva travelled overland towards Ethiopia in the fifteenth century on a mission for King João II. The last name is common in Portugal and Brazil.
Arms associated with the Paiva name
Portuguese heraldry loves canting arms that echo a name, a custom seen in coats of arms linked with Paiva.
Get your full Paiva family history
This is only a glimpse of the Paiva story. The full Paiva history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Paiva coat of arms. Get the full Paiva report.
Paiva name FAQ
What does the Paiva name mean?
"from the Paiva river". Common variants include De Paiva, Payva.
Where does the Paiva surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, Angola and France.
Is there a Paiva coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Paiva coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: José Pedro Machado, Dicionário Onomástico Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa (Lisboa, 1984); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).