Written by: Portuguese Roots Editorial Team
Posted on: July 2, 2026
Why Did So Many Portuguese Emigrate?
Why millions of Portuguese emigrated: poverty and scarce land, the pull of Brazil, escaping military conscription and the colonial wars, economic opportunity, and the dream of return.
Written by: Portuguese Roots Editorial Team
Posted on: July 2, 2026
Portuguese Emigration to Brazil
The story of Portuguese emigration to Brazil: the colonial foundations, the great 19th and 20th century waves, where emigrants settled, and how to trace a Portuguese-Brazilian family.
Written by: Portuguese Roots Editorial Team
Posted on: July 2, 2026
Azorean and Madeiran Emigration
The story of Azorean and Madeiran emigration: why the islands sent so many abroad, to New England, California, Hawaii, Canada and beyond, and how to trace an island emigrant family.
Written by: Portuguese Roots Editorial Team
Posted on: July 2, 2026
Finding Your Portuguese Emigrant Ancestor
A step-by-step method for finding your Portuguese emigrant ancestor and the parish they came from: passport registers, records abroad naming naturalidade, passenger lists and naming clues.
Written by: Portuguese Roots Editorial Team
Posted on: July 2, 2026
Portuguese Emigration to America
Where Portuguese immigrants settled in America: the Azorean whaling and mill communities of New England, the dairy farms of California, and the sugar plantations of Hawaii.
Written by: Portuguese Roots Editorial Team
Posted on: July 2, 2026
Portuguese Emigration to Canada
The story of Portuguese emigration to Canada: the great post-war migration, the Azorean character of the community, Toronto and beyond, and how to trace a Portuguese-Canadian family.
Written by: Portuguese Roots Editorial Team
Posted on: July 2, 2026
The Portuguese Diaspora: Assimilation and Identity
How Portuguese immigrants assimilated abroad while keeping a strong identity: anglicised names, Catholic parishes and festas, the ties home, and what it all means for tracing your family.
Written by: Portuguese Roots Editorial Team
Posted on: July 2, 2026
Portuguese Surname Origins: What Your Family Name Means
A complete guide to Portuguese surname origins: the two-surname system, patronymic -es names, place and nature names, religious surnames, and what your Portuguese surname really means.
Written by: Portuguese Roots Editorial Team
Posted on: July 2, 2026
Portuguese Patronymic Surnames: The -es Names
What Portuguese patronymic surnames mean: the -es names like Fernandes, Rodrigues and Gonçalves, how they formed from fathers’ names, and how they froze into hereditary surnames.
Written by: Portuguese Roots Editorial Team
Posted on: July 2, 2026
Portuguese Religious Surnames: dos Santos, de Jesus and More
What Portuguese religious surnames mean: devotional names like dos Santos, de Jesus and da Conceição, and how they can point to foundling or New Christian ancestry as well as piety.