Correia

Correia is a Portuguese and Galician occupational surname meaning "leather strap, belt", derived from Latin corrigia (leather belt, gird, harness). It originally denoted a person who worked with leather products, such as a leatherworker or belt-maker. The name is common across the Iberian Peninsula and is also found in former Portuguese and Galician colonies worldwide.

Etymology

The surname originates from the Latin word corrigia, which referred to a leather strap or belt. In Portuguese and Galician, correia continued to mean a leather strap, and the surname was adopted by those who made or sold such items. The Spanish variant is Correa, and alternative Portuguese spellings include Corrêa.

Notable Bearers

The Correia family is a prominent Portuguese noble family. Among its members is Paio Peres Correia, Grand-Master of the military Order of Santiago during the Reconquista. Other notable individuals include Francisco Correia de Heredia, 1st Viscount of Ribeira Brava; Fausto Correia, a 20th-century politician; and Hélia Correia, a celebrated writer. In arts and music, Adriano Correia de Oliveira is a notable Portuguese musician. Sources list dozens of other bearers spanning politics, the military, sports, and the arts.

Distribution and Variants

Correia is particularly common in Portugal, Brazil, and other Lusophone regions. The Spanish form Correa is similarly widespread in Spain and Latin America. The surname has also spread through Portuguese emigration to Africa (e.g., Angola, Mozambique) and parts of Asia (e.g., Goa, Macau).

• Meaning: Leather strap, belt – an occupational surname for a leatherworker.
• Origin: Portuguese and Galician, from Latin corrigia.
• Type: Occupational surname.
• Usage Regions: Portugal, Brazil, Galicia, and former Portuguese colonies.