Gonçalves Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gonçalves last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gonçalves last name
Meaning of the Gonçalves last name: "son of Gonçalo". Gonçalves is a Portuguese surname meaning "son of Gonçalo", from the Germanic name Gundisalvus, with gund, "battle". The Spanish equivalent is González. The last name is among the ten most common in Portugal and is very widespread in Brazil, often spelled Goncalves abroad.
Arms associated with the Gonçalves name
In Portugal a coat of arms was often carved over the family house, and Gonçalves heraldry shares that habit.
Get your full Gonçalves family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gonçalves story. The full Gonçalves 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 Gonçalves coat of arms. Get the full Gonçalves report.
Gonçalves name FAQ
What does the Gonçalves name mean?
"son of Gonçalo". Common variants include Goncalves, Gonzalez.
Where does the Gonçalves surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, France and Angola.
Is there a Gonçalves coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gonçalves 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).