Ferreira (Latin "ferraria and ferrus)" is a Portuguese and Galician toponymic and occupational surname, meaning "iron mine" (name of several locations in Portugal) and also the feminine variant of "blacksmith" ("ferreiro"), related to ironworks.
The variants Ferreiro, Ferreiró, Ferreiros, Ferro, or Ferraria are less common. Like Smith in English or Schmidt in German, Favre in France, Kovalenko in Ukraine, Kuznetsov in Russia, Ferrari in Italy, Kowalski in Poland, this Portuguese equivalent surname is one of the most common in the country. This surname exists mainly in Lusophone countries, South Africa, and also, via Galician migration, in Spanish speaking countries and numerous other nations around the world.
Jewish Origin.
Ferreira is also a Sephardic Jewish surname, originating from the settlement of Jews in the Iberian peninsula due to the Roman exile of 70CE and eventual settlement in what is now present day Portugal and Galicia. During the time of the Spanish Inquisition and eventual inquisition in Portugal, many New Christian families took the surname to hide their Jewish identity.
References.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;
 ;templatestyles src="Dmbox/styles.css" / ;
 Surname listThis page lists people with the surname Ferreira. 