Vieira Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Vieira last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Vieira last name
Meaning of the Vieira last name: "scallop shell". Vieira is a Portuguese surname from vieira, "scallop", the shell of pilgrims to Santiago, or from places called Vieira, such as Vieira do Minho. Padre António Vieira was a famous preacher in Brazil. The last name is common in Portugal and Brazil.
Arms associated with the Vieira name
Portugal gathered coats of arms in great armorials, and heraldry associated with Vieira belongs to that tradition.
Get your full Vieira family history
This is only a glimpse of the Vieira story. The full Vieira 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 Vieira coat of arms. Get the full Vieira report.
Vieira name FAQ
What does the Vieira name mean?
"scallop shell". Common variants include Vieyra, Viera.
Where does the Vieira surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, Angola and Cape Verde.
Is there a Vieira coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Vieira 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).