Show ContentsMoreira History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Moreira is a patronymic surname, created from the personal name Mauro, which is itself derived from the Latin name Maurus. Patronymic surnames were created from the name of the bearer's father or relative, and gradually during the Middle Ages, these names became fixed hereditary surnames.

Early Origins of the Moreira family

The surname Moreira was first found in Modena (Etruscan: Mutna; Latin: Mutina; Modenese: Mòdna), around the year 1179.

Early History of the Moreira family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moreira research. Another 30 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1050, 1375, 1451, 1475, 1526, 1546, 1555, 1558, 1636, 1639, 1677 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Moreira History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moreira Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Moreira. These spelling variations include Moro, Moras, Morasco, Morassi, Morasso, Morassut, Morassutti, Moratelli, Morati, Moratti, Moratto, Morazzi, Morero, Moreschi, Moraschi, Moresi, Moret, Moretti, Moretto, Morin, Morini, Morino, Moriotti, Moriotto, Morozzi, Morisco, Moresco, Morisi, Mori, Morimanno, Moroni, Morucchio, Morucci and many more.

Early Notables of the Moreira family

Prominent among members of the family was Giacomo Morattinni who compiled volumes of statutory laws and legislation made from the year 1050 to 1375 in the region of Forli and Siena. Later, in the 17th century, Antonio Morelli was a member of the judiciary in Modena in 1639. There was also a merchant branch of the family who lived in Venice in 1636. Lorenzo del Moro (1677-1735), was an Italian painter of the Rococo period, active mainly in his native Florence. Cristoforo Moretti (1451-1475), was an Italian...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Moreira Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moreira Ranking

In the United States, the name Moreira is the 5,658th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Moreira is ranked the 1,100th most popular surname with an estimated 4,932 people with that name. 2


United States Moreira migration to the United States +

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Moreira:

Moreira Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Antonio Moreira, aged 18, who landed in America, in 1918
  • Arthur Moreira, aged 34, who immigrated to the United States, in 1918
  • Eduardo Barbosa Moreira, aged 27, who settled in America, in 1918
  • E.C. Moreira, aged 22, who landed in America, in 1919
  • Augustin Moreira, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1919
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Moreira (post 1700) +

  • Rafael Moreira, Brazilian American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer
  • Walewska Moreira (1979-2023), Brazilian volleyball player known as Walewska Oliveira. She was in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 2000. She won a bronze medal with the women's national team in Sydney, Australia, and a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
  • José Elias Moreira (1940-2023), Brazilian businessman and politician, Member of the Brazilian Labour Party, he served in the Chamber of Deputies from 1988 to 1995
  • Edmar Batista Moreira (1939-2023), Brazilian lawyer and politician, Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil for Minas Gerais
  • Adriano José Alves Moreira (1922-2022), Portuguese lawyer, professor and a leading politician, Member of the Council of State (2016-2019)
  • Eurídice Moreira da Silva (1939-2020), better known simply as Eurídice Moreira or Dona Dida, a Brazilian Politician and Professor
  • Wilson Moreira (1936-2018), Brazilian sambista, singer and songwriter
  • António Leal Moreira (1758-1819), Portuguese composer and organist
  • Ricardo Ariel Moreira (b. 1983), Argentine footballer
  • Juarez Moreira (b. 1954), Brazilian guitarist and composer
  • ... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/


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