Raposo Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Raposo last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Raposo coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Raposo last name
Meaning of the Raposo last name: "fox". Raposo is a Portuguese surname from raposo, "fox", a nickname for a cunning or red haired man. It is common in the Azores, and families from the islands took the last name to Massachusetts and California. The spelling Rapozo also appears in Hawaii.
Arms associated with the Raposo name
Portugal gathered coats of arms in great armorials, and heraldry associated with Raposo belongs to that tradition.
Get your full Raposo family history
This is only a glimpse of the Raposo story. The full Raposo 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 Raposo coat of arms. Get the full Raposo report.
Raposo name FAQ
What does the Raposo name mean?
"fox". Common variants include Raposa, Rapozo.
Where does the Raposo surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, the United States and Angola.
Is there a Raposo coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Raposo 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).