Chaves Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Chaves last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Chaves last name
Meaning of the Chaves last name: from Chaves. Chaves is a Portuguese surname from the Trás-os-Montes town of Chaves, Roman Aquae Flaviae of the thermal springs. Folk etymology sometimes links it to chaves, "keys". As a last name it is well established in Portugal and Brazil. Thermal tourism keeps the town—and the surname—in view for visitors.
Arms associated with the Chaves name
In Portugal and Brazil a coat of arms often goes with a family name, and heraldry associated with the Chaves surname follows that custom.
Get your full Chaves family history
This is only a glimpse of the Chaves story. The full Chaves 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 Chaves coat of arms. Get the full Chaves report.
Chaves name FAQ
What does the Chaves name mean?
From Chaves. Common variants include Chave, Clavery.
Where does the Chaves surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, the United States and Angola.
Is there a Chaves coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Chaves coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: José Pedro Machado, Dicionário Onomástico Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa (Lisboa, 1984); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).