Cape Verdean Name Generator
Portuguese names, island surnames and Kriolu nicknames
Generate Cape Verdean names: formal Portuguese names with the islands' surnames, such as Isaura Fortes and Napoleão Varela, and the Kriolu nicknames people go by, such as Djon, Nha Guida and Zeca Vera-Cruz.
About Cape Verdean names
Cape Verde is an Atlantic archipelago off the coast of West Africa. The islands had no people when Portuguese ships arrived in the fifteenth century, and the population that grew there descends from Portuguese settlers and from enslaved West Africans brought to the islands. Names on paper are Portuguese: given names such as João, Filomena and Adalberto, and one or two family names, with the father's surname usually last. A short list of surnames covers a large share of the country, among them Lopes, Tavares, Gomes, Monteiro, Semedo, Varela and Fortes. A few came from elsewhere. Spencer and Rendall are British in origin, and Benoliel, Benrós and Wahnon arrived with Jewish families from Morocco and Gibraltar in the nineteenth century.
Daily life runs in Kriolu, the Cape Verdean creole, and so do everyday names. Many people are known by a nickname or pet form far more than by the name on their papers: João becomes Djon, José becomes Zeca, Beatriz becomes Bia. Nhô and Nha are respectful Kriolu forms for an older man and woman, and di means of, so Djon di Nha Guida is the Djon who belongs to Guida's household.
This list mixes the registers: formal full names, nicknames with a surname, formal names with the nickname in quotes, and nicknames alone.
How to choose Cape Verdean names
- Give a character both names. Family and neighbors would say Zeca or Bia, while a school register, a passport or a court record would use the formal Portuguese name.
- Use Nhô and Nha for elders and people of standing in the community. They go in front of the everyday name, as in Nhô Manel or Nha Chica, not in front of the surname.
- Spellings of Kriolu nicknames vary from island to island and writer to writer. Chico and Xico are the same nickname, and Tchalé uses the older tch where the official Kriolu alphabet writes tx. Pick one spelling per character and keep it.
- More Cape Verdeans live abroad than on the islands, with large communities in New England, Portugal, the Netherlands and France. A character from the diaspora can carry a Cape Verdean surname with a given name from the country they grew up in.
- Younger generations often have newer given names such as Gelson, Edmilson and Ivanilda beside the classic Portuguese ones, which is a quick way to signal a character's age.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common Cape Verdean surnames?
Almost all are Portuguese. Lopes, Tavares, Gomes, Fernandes, Silva, Monteiro, Mendes, Semedo, Varela, Fortes, Delgado and Évora are among those you meet most often, and this list leans on them more heavily than on rare surnames. Less common family names such as Livramento, Chantre, Lubrano and Montrond are included for variety.
Why do so many Cape Verdeans go by a nickname?
The formal name is Portuguese and is used for documents, school and church, while everyday speech is Kriolu. A house name given in childhood tends to stick for life, so a man registered as Francisco may be Chico or Xico to everyone he knows. In the list you will find these paired both ways, as in Francisco "Chico" Benoliel and Chico Ribeiro.
What do Nhô, Nha and di mean?
Nhô and Nha are Kriolu forms of respect for an older man and an older woman, shortened from the Portuguese senhor and senhora. Di means of. A name such as Zeca di Nha Mena tells neighbors which Zeca is meant: the one from Nha Mena's family. In the Kriolu of São Vicente the same word is often written d', as in Toy d'Gracinha.
Are these the names of real people?
The given names, surnames and nicknames are all in real use, and the full names are combinations dealt from those pools. No combination was taken from a particular person, but with surnames as common as these some will match a living person by chance, so search a name before you use it for anything public.
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All 500 Cape Verdean names
A: 40 names
- Adalberto "Betú" Firmino
- Adalberto Teixeira
- Adélia Veiga
- Adelino Luz
- Adilson
- Admilson
- Ailton
- Albertina "Tina" Ribeiro
- Albertina Lubrano
- Alcides Correia
- Alexandra "Xanda" Faria
- Alexandra Frederico
- Alexandre "Xande" Almada
- Alice Salomão
- Amélia Brandão
- Amílcar Ribeiro
- Ana Almeida
- Ana Cristina Sanches
- Ana Isabel Andrade
- Ana Paula Neves
- Anabela Mendes
- Aninha Moniz
- Anselmo Montrond
- António "Ntóni" Benrós
- António "Tó" Pina
- António "Tói" Vera-Cruz
- António "Tony" Ribeiro
- António "Toy" Teixeira
- António Baptista
- António Carlos Silveira
- Apolinário Sequeira
- Ariana
- Aristides "Tito" Varela
- Aristides dos Reis
- Arlindo Veiga
- Armanda Luz
- Arnaldo Vicente
- Augusta Varela
- Augusto Robalo
- Aurora Sena
B: 14 names
- Balbina Duarte
- Baltazar Almada
- Beatriz "Bia" Cardoso
- Beatriz Gomes
- Belarmino Morais
- Belinha Xavier
- Benjamim Duarte
- Benjamim Soares Andrade
- Beto
- Beto di Nha Mizé
- Beto Neves
- Bia
- Bia di Nha Joana
- Bia Varela
C: 28 names
- Calú
- Calú di Nhô Quim
- Calú Fortes
- Cândida de Burgo
- Cândida Pina
- Cândido Marques
- Carlitos
- Carlos "Carlitos" Azevedo
- Carlos Alberto Cabral
- Carlos Manuel Anjos
- Carlos Teixeira
- Carolina "Carol" Baessa
- Casimiro Benrós
- Catarina Querido
- Celeste Xavier
- Celestino Semedo
- Chica
- Chico
- Chico di Nha Minga
- Chico Ribeiro
- Chiquinho
- Chiquinho Brandão
- Clementina Cardoso
- Clementina das Neves
- Codé
- Codé Moniz
- Conceição Robalo
- Cristina Burgo
D: 24 names
- Damião Furtado
- Daniel Burgo
- Daniel da Costa
- Dany
- Dário Almeida
- David Araújo
- Débora Pires
- Denilson
- Deolinda Oliveira
- Dina Pereira
- Diogo Wahnon
- Djamila
- Djon
- Djon di Nha Guida
- Djon Jesus
- Djosa Cabral
- Djosa di Lurdinha
- Djudja
- Djudja Sanches
- Djunga
- Djunga Alfama
- Djunga d'Aninha
- Dudu di Julinha
- Dudu Pereira
E: 30 names
- Ederson
- Edilson
- Edmilson
- Edna Anjos
- Edson Oliveira
- Edu
- Eduarda "Duda" Montrond
- Eduarda Furtado
- Eduardo "Dudu" Centeio
- Eduardo "Edu" Fonseca
- Eduardo Miranda
- Elias Rodrigues
- Elisa Baptista
- Elisabete Graça
- Elisângela
- Elísio Anahory
- Eloísa Freire
- Elton Medina
- Ermelinda "Linda" Pinheiro
- Ernesto Mascarenhas
- Ester Mota Barros
- Eugénia Ramos
- Eugénio Sousa
- Eulália Sequeira
- Eunice Gonçalves
- Eurico Costa
- Eurico Robalo Faria
- Evandro Almeida
- Evaristo Gomes
- Eveline Teixeira
F: 19 names
- Fátima "Fatinha" Rosário
- Fátima Costa
- Fatinha
- Faustino Veiga
- Felisberto Lima
- Felismina Oliveira Barbosa
- Filipe Delgado
- Filó
- Filó Garcia
- Filomena "Mena" Almada
- Filomena Barbosa
- Filomeno Vasconcelos
- Flávio Brandão
- Francisca "Chica" Melo
- Francisco "Chico" Benoliel
- Francisco "Chiquinho" Querido
- Francisco "Xico" Matos
- Francisco Garcia
- Francisco José Coelho
G: 19 names
- Gabriel Rosa
- Gelson
- Generosa Dias
- Georgina "Gina" Lobo
- Georgina Livramento
- Gil Miranda
- Gilberto "Gil" Horta
- Gina Reis
- Glória Centeio
- Graça "Gracinha" Macedo
- Graça Vasconcelos Correia
- Gracinha
- Gracinha Querido
- Gualberto dos Anjos
- Gualberto Duarte
- Gualberto Xavier Barbosa
- Guida di Nha Nanda
- Guida Melo
- Guilhermina Rosa
H: 9 names
- Hélder Mosso
- Helena "Lena" Centeio
- Helena Varela
- Henriqueta Monteiro
- Hermínia Pina
- Hermínio do Espírito Santo
- Hernâni
- Hilário Feijóo
- Humberto Pinheiro
I: 19 names
- Inácia "Nácia" Macedo
- Inácio Anjos
- Inácio de Oliveira
- Indira
- Irene Silva
- Isa di Nhô Chico
- Isa Leite
- Isabel "Isa" Furtado
- Isabel Jesus
- Isabel Maria Pina
- Isabel Veiga Querido
- Isaura Fortes
- Isidoro Lubrano
- Ivan Costa
- Ivanilda
- Ivanildo Ramos
- Ivete
- Ivo Livramento
- Ivone Spencer
J: 23 names
- Jacinta Rendall Santos
- Jailson
- Januário Vaz
- Jerónimo Querido
- Jéssica Chantre
- Joaninha Tolentino
- João "Djunga" Landim
- João Moniz
- João Paulo Duarte
- Joaquim Tavares
- José "Zé" Delgado
- José "Zeca" Marques
- José Carlos Morais
- José Luís Ferreira
- Josiane Mendes
- Jovane
- Judite Rodrigues
- Júlia "Julinha" Xavier
- Juliana Anahory
- Julinha
- Julinha Varela
- Júlio Dias
- Justino Furtado
K: 4 names
- Kaká di Belinha
- Kelvin Almeida
- Kevin Martins
- Kim Miranda
L: 36 names
- Lara dos Santos
- Lara Veiga
- Leila Vasconcelos
- Lena di Nha Rosinha
- Lenira
- Leonel Pina
- Leonor Miranda
- Leopoldina Almada
- Letícia Semedo
- Lídia Miranda
- Lidiane
- Lili
- Lili Pereira
- Liliana Wahnon
- Lina Moniz
- Linda Sousa
- Lisandro
- Lourenço Wahnon Carvalho
- Lucas Barros
- Lúcia da Veiga
- Lúcia Pinto
- Luciano Pina
- Lucinha Leite
- Ludovina Vicente
- Luís "Luizinho" Monteiro
- Luís Carlos Sousa
- Luís Filipe Rosa
- Luís Pires
- Luísa "Lulu" Baessa
- Luísa Cabral
- Luizinho d'Filó
- Lulu Ferreira
- Lurdes "Lurdinha" Brandão
- Lurdes "Milú" Pereira
- Lurdes Neves
- Lurdinha Monteiro
M: 47 names
- Madalena Martins Varela
- Magda Moniz
- Maísa
- Mané
- Mané di Fatinha
- Mané Moreira
- Manel
- Manel di Nha Chica
- Manu
- Manu Varela
- Manuel "Mané" Luz
- Manuel "Manel" Brito
- Manuel António Delgado
- Manuel Mendes
- Manuela "Nela" Tavares
- Manuela Alfama Ortet
- Manuela Marques
- Marcelina Mendes
- Marcelino "Lino" Cabral
- Márcio Carvalho
- Maria Antónia Oliveira
- Maria da Conceição Cabral
- Maria de Lurdes Lubrano
M, continued
- Maria Filomena Landim
- Maria José "Mizé" Pinheiro
- Maria Teresa Mota
- Mariana "Nana" Landim
- Marina Montrond
- Mário Moniz
- Marisa Vera-Cruz
- Marlene Bettencourt
- Marta Lima
- Martinho Silveira
- Mateus Leite
- Matilde Pereira
- Maurício Medina
- Mena
- Mena di Nhô Djon
- Mena Ramos
- Mimi
- Minga
- Minga Landim
- Mingo
- Mingo di Nha Milú
- Miriam Firmino
- Mizé
- Moisés da Silva
N: 54 names
- Nácia
- Nácia Salomão
- Nana
- Nana Faria
- Nanda di Nhô Zeca
- Nanda Sousa
- Nandinho Ortet
- Nando
- Nando di Nha Bia
- Nando Melo
- Napoleão Varela
- Natália "Naty" Almeida
- Natália Azevedo
- Natalino Soares
- Naty
- Nela
- Nela Dias
- Nélida Fonseca
- Nereida
- Neusa
- Nha Bia
- Nha Chica
- Nha Guida
- Nha Isa
- Nha Joana
- Nha Lena
- Nha Mena
N, continued
- Nha Milú
- Nha Minga
- Nha Mizé
- Nha Nanda
- Nha Rosinha
- Nhô Beto
- Nhô Calú
- Nhô Chico
- Nhô Djon
- Nhô Djosa
- Nhô Mané
- Nhô Manel
- Nhô Mingo
- Nhô Nando
- Nhô Quim
- Nhô Tito
- Nhô Tói
- Nhô Zeca
- Nilda Centeio
- Nilton
- Nilza
- Nivaldo
- Noémia Évora
- Ntóni
- Ntóni Vicente
- Nuno Évora
- Nuno Miguel Chantre
O: 10 names
- Octávio Xavier
- Odair
- Odete Varela
- Olavo Freire
- Olga da Fonseca
- Olga Oliveira
- Olívia de Jesus
- Orlanda Reis
- Óscar da Rosa
- Óscar Fortes
P: 18 names
- Palmira Estrela
- Patrício Estrela
- Paula "Paulinha" Fortes
- Paula Cristina Varela
- Paulinha
- Paulinha Santos
- Paulinho di Sãozinha
- Paulinho Semedo
- Paulo "Paulinho" Borges
- Paulo Alfama
- Paulo Jorge Varela
- Pedrinho
- Pedrinho d'Terezinha
- Pedrinho Feijóo
- Pedro "Pedrinho" Figueiredo
- Pedro Frederico
- Pedro Miguel Évora
- Piedade Gomes
Q: 4 names
- Quim
- Quim di Nha Isa
- Quim Lobo
- Quirino Carvalho
R: 21 names
- Rafael Feijóo Melo
- Rafael Freire
- Ramiro Semedo
- Raquel Sanches
- Regina Pinheiro
- Renato Rodrigues
- Ricardina Rosário
- Ricardinho Centeio
- Rita Neves
- Roberto Fortes Mascarenhas
- Roberto Melo
- Roque Lima
- Rosa "Rosinha" Azevedo
- Rosa Gonçalves
- Rosa Maria Teixeira
- Rosália Matos
- Rosângela
- Rosário Mascarenhas
- Rosinha Chantre
- Rufino Ortet
- Rui Ortet
S: 19 names
- Salvador Azevedo
- Samira Cabral
- Sandra Fernandes
- Sandrinha Ramos
- Sandro Santos
- Sãozinha
- Sãozinha Matos
- Saturnino Sena
- Sebastião Lopes
- Serafina dos Ramos
- Sidney Morais
- Sílvia Coelho
- Silvina Mascarenhas
- Silvino Nunes
- Simone Landim
- Sofia Tolentino
- Sónia Benoliel
- Sónia Moniz Almeida
- Steven Fonseca
T: 25 names
- Tânia Fortes
- Tatiana Inocêncio
- Tchalé
- Telmo Gomes
- Teresa "Terezinha" Anahory
- Teresa "Tété" Soares
- Teresa Vieira Centeio
- Terezinha Lubrano
- Tété d'Nela
- Tété Sequeira
- Tiago Graça
- Tina Graça
- Tino Nascimento
- Tito di Nhô Mingo
- Tó Sena
- Tói di Nha Lena
- Tói Estrela
- Tomás Brito
- Tomásia Cruz
- Tónia
- Tónia Spencer
- Tony Borges
- Toy
- Toy Coelho
- Toy d'Gracinha
U: 1 name
- Ulisses Coelho
V: 15 names
- Vagner Cohen
- Valdemar Rendall
- Valdir
- Valdira
- Valentim Firmino
- Valter Vieira
- Vânia Brito
- Vasco Chantre
- Vera Figueiredo
- Verónica Barros
- Victor Soares
- Violante Baptista
- Vitória da Lomba
- Vitória Medina
- Vladimir Bettencourt
W: 3 names
- Walter Fonseca
- Willy Rocha
- Wilson Pires
X: 5 names
- Xanda
- Xanda di Tónia
- Xande
- Xico d'Lucinha
- Xico Santos
Y: 1 name
- Yuri Baessa