Botello History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

There are two possible etymologies for the Portuguese name Botello. First of all, the suffix ‘-elho’ is frequently associated with Portuguese placenames. In this case, the surname Botello is most commonly associated with the region of Aguiar, a small town of Portugal on the north east of Beira. Manuel de Sousa da Silva, the noted genealogist, wrote of the Botello family in this area: ‘De Aguiar no Concelho, Ha o logar de Bolteho, Dos Botelho a primeira, Casa do Portugal velho’ (In Aguiar and Convelho, are the lands of Botelho, the Botelho family are one of the oldest and noblest families in Portugal.)

Alternatively the name could have been an occupational name for a gatherer of kelp or seaweed. The Botello surname is thought to be associated with the Portuguese word ‘bo’ which means ‘landed property’. Therefore, the initial bearer of this surname appears to have been noted for the vast amount of land that he owned.

Early Origins of the Botello family

The surname Botello was first found in the region of Aguiar, a small town of Portugal on the north east of Beira. Today, Botelhos (the plural form of the name) is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil.