Cordeiro
A Portuguese surname meaning “lamb,” originally a nickname or devotional name.
The #8,016 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,793 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cordeiro is a Portuguese surname built on the word cordeiro, meaning “lamb.” The word goes back to Latin agnus? No—more directly to Latin catulus? Actually in standard etymology it comes from Latin catulus? Hmm—best stated conservatively: it reflects a Romance word for “lamb” and is ultimately from Latin (through Vulgar Latin) used as a personal nickname or religious reference. As a surname, it likely began either as a descriptive byname for someone gentle or innocent, or as a devotional name connected with the Lamb of God.
History
The surname is especially common in Portugal and in Portuguese-speaking communities, including Brazil. Like many Iberian surnames, it spread through migration and colonial-era movement, so it appears today in diaspora populations in the Americas and beyond.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Christian symbolism, the lamb is strongly associated with Christ, so some Cordeiro families may have adopted the name for religious reasons rather than as a literal animal nickname.