Alves Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Alves last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Alves last name
Meaning of the Alves last name: "son of Álvaro". Alves is a Portuguese surname, a contracted form of Álvares, "son of Álvaro", from a Germanic name. Pedro Álvares Cabral reached Brazil in 1500. The last name is among the most common in Portugal and Brazil and widespread in Angola and France.
Arms associated with the Alves name
In Portugal a coat of arms was often carved over the family house, and Alves heraldry shares that habit.
Get your full Alves family history
This is only a glimpse of the Alves story. The full Alves 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 Alves coat of arms. Get the full Alves report.
Alves name FAQ
What does the Alves name mean?
"son of Álvaro". Common variants include Álvares, Alvarez.
Where does the Alves surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, Angola and France.
Is there a Alves coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Alves 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).