Oliveira (surname)

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Oliveira is a Spanish and Portuguese surname, used in Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries, and to a lesser extent in former Spanish and Portuguese colonies. Its origin is from the Latin word olivarĭus , meaning 'olive tree'. In Spain and Portuguese, de Oliveira may refer to both 'of the olive tree' and/or 'from the olive tree'.

de Oliveira was one of the Conversos surnames adopted by Sephardic families after converting (often forced) to Christianity.^[1] This practice was a means of avoiding the Portuguese Inquisition prosecution and possible torture if found as non-Catholics. Because the Portuguese Empire had been established around 1500, many of the Jewish and New Christian populations fled to Brazil and other Portuguese colonies. Similar names in other languages include the Italian Olivetti and Oliveto and Spanish Olivares.