Maciel Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Maciel last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Maciel last name
Meaning of the Maciel last name: personal name Marcellus. Maciel is a Portuguese surname usually traced to the Latin personal name Marcellus. It is old in Minho and northern Portugal. The last name is very common in Brazil and also appears in Spanish-speaking countries. Some genealogists also link it with maceira, an apple orchard, but the personal-name origin is the usual view.
Arms associated with the Maciel name
Coats of arms associated with the Maciel surname follow Portuguese heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Maciel family history
This is only a glimpse of the Maciel story. The full Maciel 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 Maciel coat of arms. Get the full Maciel report.
Maciel name FAQ
What does the Maciel name mean?
Personal name Marcellus. Common variants include Macieira, Marcel.
Where does the Maciel surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, the United States and Angola.
Is there a Maciel coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Maciel 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).