Common Surnames in Timor-Leste (East Timor)

Top Family Names in East Timor

The most frequent surnames in Timor-Leste reflect Portuguese colonial influence and local Tetum/Indonesian naming patterns:

1. Costa
2. Ximenes
3. Guterres
4. Araújo
5. Pereira
6. Soares
7. Fonseca
8. da Silva
9. dos Santos
10. da Costa

Many are compound (e.g., da Silva, dos Santos). Portuguese surnames dominate due to 400+ years of colonization; indigenous names often appear as given names or in combination.