Portela Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Portela last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Portela last name
Meaning of the Portela last name: mountain pass. Portela is a Portuguese surname from portela, a small mountain pass, found in many northern place names. The last name is common in Portugal and Brazil. Curiously, Lisbon's airport stands in the district of Portela and was long known by that name.
Arms associated with the Portela name
In Portugal and Brazil a coat of arms often goes with a family name, and heraldry associated with the Portela surname follows that custom.
Get your full Portela family history
This is only a glimpse of the Portela story. The full Portela 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 Portela coat of arms. Get the full Portela report.
Portela name FAQ
What does the Portela name mean?
mountain pass. Common variants include Portella.
Where does the Portela surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil and France.
Is there a Portela coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Portela coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: José Pedro Machado, Dicionário Onomástico Etimológico da LÃngua Portuguesa (Lisboa, 1984); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).