Goncalves History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Portugal

The name Goncalves has two distinct possible origins. First of all, the name could have been derived from the Spanish word "gonzale," meaning "battle" or "elf." The suffix of 'ez' initially indicated descent as it means 'son of.'

In some instances, the surname may derive from the extremely widespread first name Gonzalo, and denoting "son of Gonzalo". Gonzalo is thought to have been derived form the Germanic "Gunz-hard". The two most common variants of this patronym are Gonzalez and Gonzales, which are found throughout the Iberian peninsula.

Alternatively, it is possible that Goncalves is one of those surnames which underwent a certain degree of change upon arrival in the New World, and since it is of Portuguese rather than Spanish extraction, it may be derived from the exclusively Portuguese surname Goncalves or more accurately Conçalves. This is a patronymic, denoting "son of Goncalo." 1

Early Origins of the Goncalves family

The surname Goncalves was first found in Portugal where the noble Portuguese house can be traced back as far as the early 16th century. Antão Gonçalves is listed in a registry of the 'Livro do Armeiro-mor' dating from 1509. 1

Early History of the Goncalves family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goncalves research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1150, 1159, 1160, 1165, 1182, 1390, 1394, 1425, 1450, 1460, 1471, 1491, 1500, 1554, 1578, 1676, 1685, 1742 and 1754 are included under the topic Early Goncalves History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goncalves Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gonzoles, Gonzolez, Gonzales, Gonzalo, Gonzalvo, Gozalo, Gonzalves, Gosalves, Goncalo, Gonçalves and many more.

Early Notables of the Goncalves family

Prominent members of the family include João Gonçalves Zarco (c. 1390-1471) was a Portuguese explorer who founded settlements and recognition of the Madeira Islands. He was appointed first captain of Funchal by Henry the Navigator (1394-1460.)Antão Gonçalves, a 15th-century Portuguese explorer who was the first European to capture Africans in the Rio do Ouro region.André Gonçalves, was a Portuguese explorer that accompanied Pedro Álvares Cabral in the discovery of Brazil. Gonçalves was one of Cabral's captains of the fleet c. 1500. Nuno Gonçalves (c. 1425-c. 1491) was a Portuguese artist whose work initiated the Portuguese Renaissance in painting. He was court...
Another 195 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Goncalves Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goncalves Ranking

In the United States, the name Goncalves is the 11,866^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Goncalves is ranked the 185^th most popular surname with an estimated 18,179 people with that name. 3

Goncalves migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Goncalves Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Felipe Goncalves, aged 41, originally from Cardiff, Wales, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Roman Prince" from Brest, France 4
Jose Goncalves, aged 29, originally from Lisbonne, Portugal, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Rochambeau" from Bordeaux, France 4
Frederico Vianna Goncalves, aged 24, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Pocone" from Rio de Janeiro 4
Adelino Goncalves, aged 19, originally from Havana, Cuba, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Esperanza" from Havana, Cuba 4
Maria A. Goncalves, aged 23, originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, So. America, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Uberaba" from Rio De Janeiro 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Goncalves (post 1700) +

Paulo Gonçalves (1979-2020), Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider who crashed during the seventh stage of the 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, at 276 km
Vasco Gonçalves, 20th-century Portuguese Prime Minister
Paulo Sérgio Moreira Gonçalves, Portuguese footballer
Nuno Gonçalves, 15th-century Portuguese artist
José Gonçalves, Portuguese footballer
João Gonçalves, 15th century Portuguese explorer, discovered the archipelago of Madeira
Isilda Gonçalves, Portuguese race walker
Antão Gonçalves, 15th century Portuguese explorer
André Gonçalves, 15th/16th-century Portuguese explorer of Brasil
Adílio de Oliveira Gonçalves (1956-2024), known simply as Adílio, a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a midfielder who made two appearances for the Brazil national team
... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

De Faria, Antonio Machado. Armorial lusitano: genealogia e heráldica. Lisboa, 1961. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result