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Ferreira Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Ferreira last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Ferreira coat of arms for you.

Meaning and origin of the Ferreira last name

Meaning of the Ferreira last name: "iron works". Ferreira is a Portuguese surname for someone from one of the many places called Ferreira, named for iron mines or forges, from Latin ferrum, "iron". It is among the five most common last names in Portugal and is very widespread in Brazil.

Arms associated with the Ferreira name

Portuguese heraldry loves canting arms that echo a name, a custom seen in coats of arms linked with Ferreira.

Get your full Ferreira family history

This is only a glimpse of the Ferreira story. The full Ferreira 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 Ferreira coat of arms. Get the full Ferreira report.

Ferreira name FAQ

What does the Ferreira name mean?

"iron works". Common variants include Ferreiro, Ferrera.

Where does the Ferreira surname come from?

It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, Angola and France.

Is there a Ferreira coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Ferreira 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).