Barreto Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Barreto last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Barreto coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Barreto last name
Meaning of the Barreto last name: "cap". Barreto is a Portuguese surname from barrete, "cap", for a maker or wearer of caps, or from a place name. Francisco Barreto governed Portuguese India. The spelling Barretto is common in the Philippines and India. The last name is widespread in Brazil.
Arms associated with the Barreto name
Portugal gathered coats of arms in great armorials, and heraldry associated with Barreto belongs to that tradition.
Get your full Barreto family history
This is only a glimpse of the Barreto story. The full Barreto 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 Barreto coat of arms. Get the full Barreto report.
Barreto name FAQ
What does the Barreto name mean?
"cap". Common variants include Barretto, Barrete.
Where does the Barreto surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, the Philippines and Angola.
Is there a Barreto coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Barreto 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).