Gouveia Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gouveia last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Gouveia coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Gouveia last name
Meaning of the Gouveia last name: from Gouveia. Gouveia is a Portuguese surname from the town of Gouveia on the slopes of the Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain range in mainland Portugal. The last name is common in Brazil. Curiously, the Serra da Estrela gives its name to a famous soft sheep's milk cheese and to a large mountain dog.
Arms associated with the Gouveia name
Coats of arms associated with the Gouveia surname belong to Portuguese heraldry, whose blazon traditions reached Brazil.
Get your full Gouveia family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gouveia story. The full Gouveia 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 Gouveia coat of arms. Get the full Gouveia report.
Gouveia name FAQ
What does the Gouveia name mean?
From Gouveia. Common variants include Gouvêa, Gouvea.
Where does the Gouveia surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, Venezuela and France.
Is there a Gouveia coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gouveia 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).