Cabral
A surname of Iberian origin, probably linked to goats or goat-keeping, and especially well known in Portuguese and Spanish-speaking families.
The #1,557 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 13,349 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Cabral is generally connected with the Romance word for a goat, from Latin capra. In older Iberian usage, names built on cabra- could point to someone associated with goats, goat pastures, or a place where goats were kept. The excerpt you provided treats Cabral alongside forms meaning a cluster or place of goats, which supports this broad animal-related origin, though the exact pathway is not fully certain from the excerpt alone.
History
Cabral is most strongly associated with Portugal and Brazil, where it is a long-established surname. It is also found in Spanish-speaking areas, especially where Iberian naming patterns spread through migration and colonial history. The best-known bearer is Pedro Álvares Cabral, the Portuguese navigator credited with reaching Brazil in 1500.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Pedro Álvares Cabral’s voyage made the surname especially familiar in Brazilian history.
From the historical record
“Cabral. Conjunto de piños de cabras. Cabrales. Plural del anterior. Cabrera. El pástor de cabras. El que es aficionado a echar cabras con el compañero que ha perdido.”
— Diccionario de los apellidosNotable people named Cabral
- Pedro Álvares Cabral (1467–1520)
- Amílcar Cabral (1924–1973)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.