NAMES ANALYSIS REPORT Goncalves Surname Meaning & Origin

The surname Goncalves is a patronymic name, which means that it is derived from a man's given name, usually a father , paternal ancestor or patron.

There are many indicators that the name Goncalves may be of Jewish origin, emanating from the Jewish communities of Spain and Portugal.

When the Romans conquered the Jewish nation in 70 CE, much of the Jewish population was sent into exile throughout the Roman Empire. Many were sent to the Iberian Peninsula. The approximately 750,000 Jews living in Spain in the year 1492 were banished from the country by royal decree of Ferdinand and Isabella. The Jews of ...